Lessons in Love
by Dior Crystal
Summary: Got a love problem? Ask Ulquiorra! That's exactly what Grimmjow does. Or rather, threatens him. He gives Ulquiorra a choice: help him or be humiliated. So what's it gonna be? Yaoi. GrimmUlqui. AU. Set in high school.
1. Chapter One

Love.

What was so great about it anyways?

He had studied and dissected the subject to death. He had studied the way people seemed to worship this feeling. Curious, he had gotten himself involved with solving matters of the heart. He was a very observant and intelligent person and was able to solve the problems in a heartbeat.

What he could not understand was why people seemed so hell bent on obtaining this feeling. It had no use. It was not going to help a person in his or her studies. Or to further their career. Or make them stronger. Therefore, love is worthless.

* * *

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez was just like any other teenage boy. He went to school, and had a couple of friends, an annoying younger brother, and doting parents. The only thing that was odd about him was his hair colour, which was a most curious shade of blue. While his grades were not outstanding, he did quite well in school. Though he was brash and loud, he was well-liked amongst the students there. So, other than his hair colour, he was a perfectly normal teenage boy. Well, there was also the fact that he was bisexual, but that does not really matter.

"Oh, fuck! I'm sorry! Are you okay, dude?"

Grimmjow was lying sprawled on the ground, the textbooks that he was carrying in his arms a moment ago scattered all over the ground. He was walking past the soccer field when the ball came his way and had knocked him to the ground. The teal haired young man just looked up at the orange haired person standing above him. He opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish, his face red with embarrassment, blinking up at the person stupidly. His mouth went dry.

"I, er, ah…"

"Ichigo! Get back here! Or else Byakuya is going to have your head for being late for his class!"

Ichigo groaned. Byakuya did not like him very much and Ichigo knew that his raven haired teacher would just love the opportunity to land him in detention. Shaking his head, Ichigo looked at Grimmjow apologetically. "I gotta go! I'm sorry man." Then he turned on his heels and tore back to the school building, not wanting to give Byakuya a reason to punish him. Grimmjow just watched the orange haired teen run off into the distance until Ichigo was merely a speck, a feeling of emptiness settling over him.

"Smooth, Jaegerjaquez. Real smooth," said a voice behind Grimmjow.

Grimmjow growled. He knew that voice all too well.

"Shut up, Nnoitra." He got up and brushed himself. His clothes were lightly coated with dirt. Great. Just great. "It was nothing."

The lanky man tilted his head, a smile playing on his lips. He had picked up Grimmjow's books for him and now held them out for Grimmjow. He and Grimmjow had been best friends for as long as he could remember. They stuck up and supported each other whenever the other was in a time of need. He knew Grimmjow well enough that that was not "nothing". Grimmjow's infatuation for Ichigo Kurosaki was obvious, no matter how much he denied it. The man acted like a total goofball whenever that orange haired Sex God was around, for crying out loud.

"Grimmjow, why don't you just talk to him?" He tilted his head, looking at Grimmjow questioningly.

"None of your fucking business." Grimmjow snatched his textbooks out of Nnoitra's hands.

Nnoitra rolled his eyes. "Whatever, man." Stubborn git.

* * *

Grimmjow did not know what was wrong with him. It had started out as an innocent little crush, and over time - try a few years. That was how long he had been crushing on the orange haired teen – it turned into a fully fledged crush. He loved everything to do with Ichigo Kurosaki. He loved Ichigo's warm brown eyes, his gentle smile, his unruly spiky orange hair, his laugh, his toned body… Yes, Ichigo Kurosaki, in Grimmjow's eyes, was a Sex God. He had found himself looking at Kurosaki one day and thought that the Berry looked incredibly attractive. That was when this whole mess started. The whole mess where Grimmjow started acting like a fool.

Whenever Kurosaki was around, Grimmjow's natural grace would always fail him. _Always_. He would trip, fall, knock, bump, drop things or walk into walls whenever the Berry was in the vicinity, embarrassing himself immensely.

Ichigo was his classmate, not that the orange haired teen noticed him anyways. It was like Grimmjow did not exist. Not that Ichigo was unpleasant to him. No. He was nice enough. It was just that he did not seem to notice Jaegerjaquez's presence.

_I guess he has better things to do than to notice me_, Grimmjow thought glumly.

What he would do to get Kurosaki's attention.

He gazed out of the window while Byakuya wrote on the blackboard in front of the class, explaining to them about Logarithms. He was in class right now, his form slouching in his seat. He snuck a glance to look at the person that sat two seats in front to his right. Ichigo Kurosaki was paying rapt attention to Byakuya, writing down notes now and then.

Grimmjow sighed, passing a hand over his face. He was a fool. A total, and utter fool.

Nnoitra let out a breath that he had been holding. He had noticed that Grimmjow was staring off into space and then looking at Kurosaki now and then, a look of longing in his eyes. It was a sight that was so pathetic that it made him want to barf. He was sick of watching his friend acting this way. It was time to put a stop to this. He did not understand why his best friend could not get his act together and just ask that Kurosaki boy out. A guy like Grimmjow should not be acting like this.

He almost felt sorry for Grimmjow.

Rubbing his forehead, he cursed himself. He hoped that he was doing the right thing. Nnoitra nudged Grimmjow, snapping the teen out of his daydream.

"What?" Grimmjow hissed, narrowing his cerulean eyes at Nnoitra.

"Look, Grimmjow. This has got to stop, alright? You know what you need? You need some help."

"Help? Help for what?" Grimmjow's voice was dangerously low.

Nnoitra rolled his eyes, unfazed by the threatening tone that Grimmjow's voice had taken on. Although he did not look it, he was stronger than Grimmjow, a fact that irritated the other to no end. How was it that someone as skinny as Nnoitra be much stronger than him, who worked out nearly every day? It was mind boggling.

"Look, stupid. I'm trying to help you here. I'm sick of watching you act like a total moron whenever that carrot top is around." Nnoitra held up a hand to signal Grimmjow to keep quiet when he started to open his mouth in protest. "You need help. To get to Kurosaki."

"Oh yeah?" he snarled. "And how are you gonna do that?"

"Jaegerjaquez, what is it that's so interesting that you are talking to Nnoitra while I am in front here teaching?" Byakuya was frowning, holding a book to his chest.

_Err… Anything? _

But of course, Grimmjow did not dare say that. Instead, he just mumbled, "I'm sorry" and pretended to look back at his book, scribbling down nonsense in it as though he was taking down notes.

"Good." Byakuya returned to writing on the board again.

"Well?" Nnoitra pressed, careful to keep his voice low so as not to attract Byakuya's attention.

Grimmjow thought about it. He wanted Ichigo, a fact that he could not deny. He had long stopped denying his feelings for Ichigo to himself when he found that he constantly kept thinking about the brown eyed man. But just because he had stopped denying this fact to himself did not mean that he could not deny it to anyone else. Of course, Nnoitra knew him all too well to know that he was lying. He looked at his friend, who wore a baseball cap on his head backwards. He could see the sincerity in his friend's eyes.

"Okay," Grimmjow said finally, giving in. "What do you want me to do?"

Nnoitra grinned. "Oh no. Not me. I'm not going to be the one helping you on this one."

"But you just said-"

"Bah! Do you really think that I am the right person to be helping you with this stuff?" Nnoitra scoffed.

Now that Grimmjow thought about it, Nnoitra was right. The lanky man had never been able to hold on to a relationship for even a month, breaking many women's hearts in the process. He was not the man to turn to for relationship advice. He was the man to turn to if you want to be despised by the female race and breaking someone's heart.

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

"Relax." Nnoitra thumped him on the shoulder. "I've got it all figured out. I know the perfect person to help you."

Grimmjow perked up at this. "Really? Who?" he asked eagerly.

Smiling, Nnoitra lowered his voice, "You know that there is a rumour about some kid in our school that is supposedly an expert in love?"

"Yeah. So?"

"So we should ask for his help!"

Grimmjow blinked slowly. "Why?"

Nnoitra badly wanted to give Grimmjow a critical hit in the nads. My God. Was the man really that dense?

Letting out a shuddering breath, trying to keep his irritation at bay, Nnoitra continued, "Well, this kid supposedly knows his stuff. Has helped tons of people out in situations like this. A miracle worker, he is. Loads of my friends were raving about him. We should ask him to help you to get your man. Word is out that it is Cifer. Cifer is the love expert."

"Who?"

Oh what Nnoitra would have given for a bat to whack Grimmjow's thick skull with.

He settled for using his hand to smack Grimmjow at the side of his head.

"Ow! Why did you do that for?"

Pulling back his hand, Nnoitra said calmly, "Cifer, as in Ulquiorra Cifer. Our classmate, you imbecile."

As he rubbed at the spot where Nnoitra had hit him, Grimmjow's eyes widened slightly. "You mean that depressed looking emo kid? The kid that hangs out with that dork with the pink hair, Szayel? He is the love expert? You have got to be kidding me," Grimmjow scoffed.

"Up to you. You can either take a chance and believe me or continue watching Kurosaki like some love sick puppy. Your choice man." Nnoitra shrugged, returning his attention to Byakuya's lesson. He did not want to do badly in this class. Byakuya may be quiet and rarely showed any emotion, but the man was frightfully intimidating. It did not do to get on the raven haired man's bad side.

Cerulean eyes wondered around the classroom until they landed on a pale form that sat at the back of the class. Honestly, what did he have to lose? Nnoitra was right. He could either ask for help from Cifer or just carry on admiring Kurosaki from a distance. And he did not fancy watching Kurosaki like some sort of stalker. He had more pride than that. Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez simply did not lower himself to doing such ridiculous things. Taking a deep breath, he studied Cifer.

Ulquiorra was copying down all of the notes that Byakuya had written on the blackboard, giving Byakuya's lecture his full attention. He wore a huge green shirt, a pair of black baggy jeans, black army boots and a dark green beanie pulled over his head, covering his messy shoulder length raven hair. He looked rather attractive. Beautiful, in fact. How come he had never noticed the pale man's presence even though they were classmates?

Grimmjow frowned.

_What the fuck, is that Ulquiorra crying or something?_

Squinting, Grimmjow finally realized that it was merely a trail of green make up made to look like tear tracks on the pale man's face. Why on earth would he want to make himself look like he was crying all of the time?

Sensing Grimmjow's gaze on him, Ulquiorra looked up from his work and sent a frown in Grimmjow's direction.

"Yes, can I help you?" Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes.

But Grimmjow merely grinned and then turned back in his seat.

* * *

As soon as class was over, Ulquiorra gathered his books and placed them neatly into his backpack. He wanted to get to his next class quickly. He did not want to be late. Everyone else had already gotten out of class and were already making their way to Urahara's class. It had been a long day today. His teachers were really drilling all of them hard and giving them tons of homework every day. This resulted in Ulquiorra not getting enough sleep because he stayed up late every night completing his homework.

He rubbed at his eyes tiredly. He could not wait for the day to be over so that he could go back home and sleep for hours on end. Shouldering his backpack, he made his way to get out of the classroom when he accidentally bumped into someone.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Excuse me," Ulquiorra said apologetically, trying to walk around the person, but found that it was impossible. The person merely blocked whichever path he wanted to take. Getting angry, he looked up and found himself to be looking into a pair of cerulean eyes. "Would you kindly please step aside. I would like to-"

"No," said Grimmjow.

"No?" Ulquiorra frowned.

"No."

"No."

"Yes."

"What?"

"Oh, fuck it! Let me get right to the point! I need your help."

Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow. "Help?" he said suspiciously. "What for? I do not have the time for this. Look, I am going to be late for class if you do not move. So would you please-" He attempted to walk past the teal haired man.

Only to have Grimmjow reach out and grip his shoulder. Ulquiorra looked back and shot him a look that would have made anyone else falter and back away, but Grimmjow stood his ground.

"My name is Grimmjow."

"And I am late for class," Ulquiorra retorted, irritated. "I know who you are. So can you please-"

Grimmjow ignored him. "Look, I heard that you are an expert in-" Grimmjow could not bring himself to utter the words _love expert_. It sounded so… wrong. "- matters of the heart. And there is someone that I like and I, well, you know…" Grimmjow trailed off, looking slightly embarrassed to be asking help from a total stranger.

His scowl deepening, Ulquiorra pushed Grimmjow's hand off of his shoulder.

"I do not deal in matters like that anymore. So just leave me alone, trash," he said coldly.

Grimmjow stumbled a few steps backward, surprised at the menacing tone that Cifer's voice had taken. No one had ever called Grimmjow 'trash' or even dared to for fear of him punching their faces in. Although the pale man was shorter than him, the tone in his voice sent chills up and down Grimmjow's spine. Blinking slowly, he watched as Ulquiorra smoothed his shirt from wrinkles and then turn on his heel to leave.

That was when Grimmjow's senses returned to him.

He reached out, grabbing the smaller man and turned him around, gripping his shoulders with both of his hands. Ulquiorra's emerald orbs widened and a brief look of fear appeared in his eyes. He had not expected Jaegerjaquez to do that. Grimmjow leaned down till his face was inches away from Ulquiorra's, totally invading the pale man's personal space, making him squirm slightly at the close proximity. He was not used to being so close to anyone. At all. But Grimmjow ignored Ulquiorra's obvious discomfort and growled, "You, are not going anywhere till you help me."


	2. Chapter Two

"So are you gonna help me or not?"

Ulquiorra glowered at him, silent.

"Well?" Grimmjow pressed. He was getting impatient with Cifer's unresponsiveness. He tightened his grip on the smaller man to show that he was serious.

"No." Ulquiorra looked up at Grimmjow defiantly.

His face showed no fear. He was not afraid of the man that towered over him. He admitted that he was slightly alarmed with Jaegerjaquez' behaviour earlier but once the shock had subsided, the man no longer intimidated him. Why should he help the man anyways? Ulquiorra certainly did not lie to him; he had washed his hands off of this love business a long time ago. He had found that it was no longer interesting and had consequently dropped that little hobby of his. He had merely done it in the first place to quench his curiosity of everyone's fascination with everything to do with love.

Grimmjow glared at him. "Wrong. That is not the right answer. If you do not fucking help me, I am gonna make your life a living hell." He did not really mean that. He was just saying it to scare Cifer into being more agreeable. The little shit was being so obstinate.

"I'd like to see you try," Ulquiorra said smoothly, placing his hands on Grimmjow's chest and pushing him away with strength that was so unlike his small, slender frame that Grimmjow fell onto his back with a thud.

Cerulean eyes looked up at him in surprise. Ulquiorra shoved his hands into his pockets and lightly placed a foot on Grimmjow's chest, his emerald eyes resting on the larger form with boredom. A slight smirk tugged at his lips though he fought to keep it down. "See you around, Jaegerjaquez." And with that, he lifted his foot and exited the classroom leisurely.

Grimmjow glared after the retreating form.

The little shit was going to regret that.

* * *

After school, Grimmjow was fuming. He shoved his books roughly into his locker. That little shit was going to pay. It humiliated him that a man who was smaller than him was able to overpower him so easily. His face burned at the thought. Nnoitra just watched as his friend was practically having steam come out of his ears. It would have been funny if Grimmjow was not so mad.

"Dude, take a chill pill."

Grimmjow whirled on him. "Do NOT tell me to take a chill pill! I will take a fucking chill pill whenever I feel like it!" He pointed a finger at Nnoitra. "And this is your fault! You are the one who suggested this!"

Nnoitra held up both of his hands in front of him. "Whoa, whoa, chillax. It's not my fault that the emo kid beat you up."

"He _did not_ beat me up!"

"Right," Nnoitra said dismissively, rolling his eyes. "I'm pretty sure that you tripped and fell."

Grimmjow dearly wanted to strangle Nnoitra. Closing his eyes, he tried to calm himself down. Shouting and throwing a tantrum was not going to help him. When he opened them, he spoke in a more even tone. "He may have won this round but Emo Boy is going to be much more agreeable next time."

Normally, Grimmjow would have dropped the subject and accepted the fact that Ulquiorra had declined to help him. But Ulquiorra had insulted him, knocked him over, humiliated him and pissed him off. And he hated the way those emerald orbs looked down at him with distaste, as though Grimmjow was below the little Emo. Like as if he was trash. Trash; what Cifer had called him. Who did the little shit think he was? He was going to make Emo Boy help him, whether he liked it or not.

"Next time? You really think that he is gonna cave in that easily?" Nnoitra said skeptically. "In case you haven't noticed, Cifer can easily beat the crap out of you. He ain't scared of you."

Grimmjow smirked. "Maybe. But I've got a plan."

On the other side of school, Ulquiorra was tidying his locker, making sure that everything was arranged perfectly. After the little fiasco earlier that morning, his day went smoothly. He was sure that Jaegerjaquez was not going to pull the same stunt again anytime soon. He did not think that it was a big deal anyways.

Szayel on the other hand, thought otherwise.

"He did what?" Aporro Grantz said, horrified.

Ulquiorra sighed. Really. His best friend was overreacting. "It's not a big deal," he said dismissively.

Szayel slammed his own locker shut, glaring at Ulquiorra behind his spectacles. "In case you haven't noticed, Ulquiorra Cifer, it IS a big deal. You should report him to Principal Yamamoto. Just because he is popular does not mean he has the right to bully people like us!"

See what he meant by overreacting?

When Ulquiorra did not reply, Szayel exclaimed, "He basically threatened you! What makes you think that he won't get back at you?"

"He won't."

"How can you be sure of that?" Szayel narrowed his eyes at him, his lips set into a thin line. He shifted his bag on his shoulder.

"I made sure of it," Ulquiorra said shortly.

"Really," Szayel said disbelievingly.

"Really."

"Hmph." That sound meant that Szayel did not believe him. Not that he did not believe that Ulquiorra had shoved Grimmjow to the ground. He had no doubts about Ulquiorra's strength. A characteristic that many do not know due to his best friend's small, slender frame. And then there was the fact that Ulquiorra chose not to display this ability of his, preferring to keep things to himself. Heck, Cifer was easily one of the strongest people he knew. Not that he knew many people. It was just that he did not believe Grimmjow to be the type to give up so easily.

"Fine," Szayel said finally. "If you think so, then that's that."

Even though he knew that that was not true.

This was just the beginning.

* * *

When Ulquiorra returned home, he dumped his bag onto the floor and sank tiredly onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling. His house was empty, as usual. This was not surprising since he lived alone. Most people would return home to be greeted by a loving family, but this was a luxury that Ulquiorra did not have. But he was used to being greeted by an empty house. And Szayel always came by to keep him company. So he did not feel lonely. At least, not always.

The events that took place earlier that day ran through his mind. Today was… interesting. Who on earth was so important that it made Jaegerjaquez so hell bent on getting him to help? Ulquiorra, ever the observant one, knew that this was not normal behaviour for Jaegerjaquez.

Grimmjow had practically half the school at his feet what with his many admirers and crazy fan girls. The man did not need any of Ulquiorra's assistance, so why? The man could just snap his fingers and a horde of women (and men) would come crawling at his feet. Easy as that. The man had dated several girls (and the sometimes rumoured men) before, this Ulquiorra knew. So he should have no problem getting whoever he wanted.

Ulquiorra closed his eyes.

He himself had never gone out with anyone, let alone have a relationship. Not that no one liked him. He had his own share of admirers. This was unavoidable seeing that he was what everyone would describe as beautiful. His small, slender form and his porcelain white skin made him look fragile. This was further emphasized with his liking to using green make up to draw tear tracks on his face. His most distinctive feature was his large emerald eyes. They stood out against his pale skin; bright, intelligent and mesmerizing. For some absurd reason, his appearance led both girls and boys alike to have some crazy fantasy of taking care of him and holding him protectively in their arms.

Ridiculous. He was the last person who needed protecting.

He did not know why, but the reason why he kept turning down person after person was because he was waiting for the right one to come.

Stupid, right?

He had tried many times to push this foolish thought out of his mind. He had no time entertaining such ridiculous notions. He supposed that after watching and helping many love struck couples, their romantic ideals had rubbed off of him somewhat. He still considered it a useless feeling so he ignored these foolish thoughts. Most of the time.

With that last thought, Ulquiorra gave himself into sleep. Blissfully unaware of what tomorrow was about to bring.

The heat from the sun was beating down on them mercilessly as they played on the soccer field, making them all hot and bothered. They were all sweating and their shirts clung to their bodies. It was a practice game between shirts and skins. Thankfully, Ulquiorra was in the shirts team. He did not fancy the idea of running around topless.

A problem that Jaegerjaquez did not seem to mind. He had been throwing frequent looks at Ulquiorra since the game had begun. The green eyed man merely ignored Grimmjow.

A bead of sweat dripped down the side of Ulquiorra's face and his shirt clung to his form, damp with sweat. He was panting slightly. The heat was getting to him. And his long sleeved shirt did not help matters. But Ulquiorra, being Ulquiorra, was more on the modest side, unlike Grimmjow and would much rather be sweating buckets than to expose his upper body.

Ulquiorra immediately came to attention when the ball came his way.

Their P.E. teacher, Kenpachi, watched lazily as they played. They were starting to get rowdy, he could tell. Not that he cared. He welcomed it, in fact. Boys needed to rough house once in awhile, in his opinion. He checked his watch. Hmm. Time was almost up.

"Hey, Emo Kid! You look like a fucking fag!" a boy in the skins team yelled. "You can't kick to save your life!"

Ulquiorra ignored the taunt and pulled his leg back, delivering a powerful kick on the soccer ball. The ball sailed through the air and went right into the goal.

"Time's up! Shirts win!" Kenpachi called out. "Now, get your butts to the showers! You all smell nasty."

The skins team watched Ulquiorra with open mouths as he straightened up and calmly went into the showers, shocked. Who knew that the Emo Prince knew how to play ball?

Ulquiorra ignored the looks he was receiving and grabbed a towel and a set of clothes as he entered one of the stalls. Thankfully, each stall had a door. He was not comfortable with people seeing him naked. He hung the towel and his clothes on the door. Just as he had predicted, Jaegerjaquez had not done anything to him other than looking at him now and then. He did not like those looks that he received from Jaegerjaquez. It made him feel uneasy.

It was like Grimmjow had something planned for him.

Shaking his head, he turned the knob and closed his emerald orbs as many droplets of water rained down on him, washing all of the sweat and dirt away from his body. He sighed, feeling the water's cooling effect. He reached out for a bar of soap and washed himself, lost in thought. He then proceeded to wash his ebony locks.

For years people had called him Emo Kid, Emo Boy, Emo Prince… He never paid them any mind. He always knew what people thought about his appearance. He knew what he looked like. It never bothered him. Well, it used to. At first he felt humiliated and demeaned but after awhile, he did not give a damn. He was used to being picked and teased on by certain ignorant individuals. He knew he could easily crush them but he chose not to. He did not like fighting.

When he was done, he switched off the shower and turned around to grab his towel.

Ulquiorra's eyes widened slightly. The towel was still there but…

_Where were his clothes?_

A strangled cry rose from his throat. He was so fucked.

Trying to calm himself down, he grabbed the towel and wrapped it around his waist. _Relax. Don't panic._ Perhaps his clothes fell on the other side of the door.

He poked his head out of the door, looking left and right.

The place was empty. It seemed that everyone had already left, much to Ulquiorra's relief. He looked down on the floor. His clothes were nowhere in sight.

He was starting to panic now. How was he supposed to return home? He could not very well go back home with nothing on but a towel to cover himself. His face coloured at the thought. Did the boys decide to play a cruel joke on him for beating them in soccer? He would not put it past them to do such a thing. Panic rising up his throat, he went into a searching frenzy. He HAD to find his clothes. Perhaps they were hidden somewhere. He hoped.

He searched the stalls. The lockers. The benches. He looked practically EVERYWHERE.

Just when he was about to cry out in frustration, he heard a voice; "Looking for these?"

Ulquiorra whirled around, coming face to face with Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. The teal haired man grinned down at him. He held some fabric in his fist.

_His clothes!_

Ulquiorra made a grab for his clothes but Grimmjow just held them away from Ulquiorra's outstretched fingers. Grimmjow laughed cruelly. "Nah, what makes you think that I am just going to hand these to you? Give me one good reason why."

Grimmjow was playing with him. Ulquiorra knew that. Getting annoyed, he crossed his arms across his chest. "I don't know? Maybe it's because those are _my_ clothes," Ulquiorra deadpanned.

"Wrong." Grimmjow's infuriating grin widened. "It's because you are going to help me."

_Was this imbecile ever going to give up?_

Ulquiorra scowled and turned his face away. "No," he said stubbornly. Who did Jaegerjaquez think he was anyways, blackmailing him like that?

"Tch. Have it your way." Grimmjow turned around to leave.

In his panic, Ulquiorra cried out, "Wait!"

Grimmjow turned to look over his shoulder. "You gonna help?"

Cifer hesitated. "No."

"Well, then, that's too bad." The taller man feigned disappointment. "Guess that means you are going to go home without anything to wear. You won't even have a towel to cover yourself with."

"What are you talking about?" Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes. "I'm still wearing my towel."

"Not for long."

Grimmjow whirled around so fast that Ulquiorra stumbled backwards in surprise. Grimmjow caught him before he fell to the ground, wrapping one arm around his slim waist to stop Cifer from falling over. In his own attempt to stop himself from falling over, Cifer had wrapped his arms around Grimmjow's neck. The green eyed teen coloured when he realised their position. How embarrassing. Grimmjow grinned seeing Cifer's obvious discomfort.

They were so close to each other now, their faces were merely inches away from one another. Ulquiorra could feel Grimmjow's hot breath on his cheek and the heat practically radiating off of the man. His breath hitched as Grimmjow's hand slid up his thigh, leaving jolts of electricity across his skin.

"Wha- what?" Ulquiorra gasped. He tried pushing the taller man away but Grimmjow held onto him firmly.

"You heard me," Grimmjow whispered into his ear. "You will be going home without anything on, not even this towel, if you don't help me." He tugged at the towel that was wrapped around Ulquiorra's waist to prove his point.

"No!" Alarmed, Ulquiorra lost his cool. He grabbed Grimmjow's offending hand and pushed it away. This was the closest he had ever been to anyone and it was making him squirm. The fact that it was Jaegerjaquez, no less, was making him feel even more uncomfortable. He did not know why, but he felt uneasy when he was around the teal haired man.

Grimmjow looked down at the smaller man that he held in his arms, smirking. Cifer did not have a choice, he knew that. He watched the conflicting emotions run through Cifer's face. While Cifer took his time trying to decide, his cerulean eyes roamed Ulquiorra's body brazenly. His eyes ran down Ulquiorra's flawless porcelain skin, his perfect shoulders, his toned and slightly muscular body, his slim waist… Maybe yanking off the towel would not be such a bad idea.

_Bad, Grimmjow. Bad, bad, bad!_

He shook his head. God. He had to get his mind out of the gutter.

Then, he noticed a tattoo of the number four emblazoned on the left side of Cifer's chest. Interesting. When did Cifer get that done? He gulped. He had to fight the urge to trail his fingers over the tattoo.

The smaller teen was breathing heavily now, his face slightly pink. Grimmjow raised an eyebrow. It seemed that Cifer was not used to being so close to anyone. "Well?" he pressed. He squeezed Ulquiorra's hip with the hand he used to keep the smaller man from falling over to jolt him out of his thoughts. Cifer stiffened under him.

Emerald orbs were raised to look into his own cerulean ones. Though Ulquiorra's face was emotionless, there was a look of defeat in his eyes. "Fine then." He closed his eyes. "We will start tomorrow." He opened his eyes again. "My clothes, if you will."

Grimmjow was sorely tempted to keep the clothes so that he could see Ulquiorra half naked for a little while longer.

"Jaegerjaquez," Ulquiorra said sharply. "Hand me my clothes and stop staring at my crotch."

Oops.

Face burning at being caught staring, Grimmjow let go of Ulquiorra and handed him his clothes, his face turned away to hide his blush. "Tch. Who wants to look at you?"

Ulquiorra did not answer. He just grabbed his clothes and quickly donned them just in case Grimmjow suddenly changed his mind.

When he was done dressing, Grimmjow turned to look at Ulquiorra before leaving. "See you tomorrow then, Cifer."

Ulquiorra just looked back at him, his face expressionless, giving him a slight nod.

* * *

Nnoitra had seen the whole thing happen when he had decided to take a peek in the showers. Hmm. Not bad. When he saw that Grimmjow was done torturing the Emo Kid, he raced out of the showers and stood outside, pretending to be waiting for Grimmjow all the while. When Grimmjow finally emerged, he raised an eyebrow at his teal haired friend. "Well? Did it go well?" he asked, even though he knew the answer.

Grimmjow grinned. "Piece of cake."

"Excellent."

Nnoitra shoved his hands into his pockets. "You know, Grimm, that Emo Kid…"

Grimmjow looked at him curiously. "What about him?"

"He ain't that bad. He ain't half bad to look at either," Nnoitra said casually, flicking his gaze at his friend.

Grimmjow grunted. "So?"

Nnoitra shrugged. "I'm just saying." If he had to speak honestly, he would have said that he thought that his friend looked a whole lot better with the Emo Kid than the Kurosaki boy but he decided to keep his mouth shut. He did not want Grimmjow to rip his tongue out.

"Tch. Whatever." Scowling, Grimmjow looked ahead, wondering why Nnoitra was behaving oddly.


	3. Chapter Three

Szayel's mouth hung open, his amber eyes filled with disbelief, unable to find anything to say. When he finally found his voice, he screeched, his eyes popping out of his head, "He did _what_?"

Ulquiorra scowled at him. "You heard me. I have to help that imbecile Jaegerjaquez today."

"No no! I mean before that!" Szayel shook his head irritably, his pink hair slapping against his cheeks. When Ulquiorra just looked at him blankly, Szayel exclaimed, "I meant the part where he said that he would make you walk home butt naked if you didn't help!" Still no change in Ulquiorra's expression. He seemed unfazed by the fact that he nearly had to walk home in the nude the day before. "And that he actually _touched _you. How could you let that happen?" Aporro Grantz shuddered.

Ulquiorra coloured at this.

His pink haired friend continued, "Why didn't you just beat him up? You could have, you know."

Honestly? Ulquiorra did not know why he did not just give Jaegerjaquez a direct hit to the nads or just fling him to the ground. He was in a position to do so. He supposed that he did not fancy the fact that in the midst of fighting, his towel could have easily fallen down, exposing his family jewels (or flailing dingdong if he had fallen down when it came off) for the whole world to see. Or at least to Grimmjow anyways.

And then, he was ashamed to admit it, maybe there was a small part of him that actually liked it.

Not that Szayel needed to know that, of course.

"I was panicking. I didn't think properly, I suppose," Ulquiorra said. Well, it was not a complete lie. He was unable to think properly when he was panicking during the time. He cursed himself for not handling the situation better.

"Hmm. Yes, I guess so," Szayel agreed, nodding. "I don't think you would have let him do that if you weren't so panicky."

Now, Ulquiorra was not quite sure about _that_, but let's just go with that for the time being now, shall we?

Classes had just finished and Ulquiorra and Szayel were both in the school toilet. Ulquiorra had dragged Szayel here to tell him what had happened the day before. And there was also the fact that he was not so eager to meet Jaegerjaquez. He and Grimmjow had both agreed to meet one another after school. But Ulquiorra's stalling was about to come to an end because Szayel suddenly looked at his watch and said, "Shit. If we don't move now, Jaegerjaquez is gonna be pissed."

Ulquiorra sighed, looking at his reflection in the mirror.

He knew that he was wasting time. He wished that he did not have to go through with this silly thing. Didn't Grimmjow understand that he was through with the whole matter? And honestly, all he did was give advice or give a small push in the right direction. He was more of a person who gave people confidence to take the first step. It was just that some people were so scared and clueless, they did not want to do that. All Ulquiorra did was give them a small nudge and suddenly everyone was hailing him as the Love Expert.

The whole thing was just so silly and blown out of proportion.

If he had the chance, he would have gladly backed out of this. But then Grimmjow would get pissed off with him for doing that and he would surely find numerous ways to blackmail Ulquiorra again till he got his way.

But Ulquiorra was a man of his word and he was not going to back out of this one. He only wished that he had had handled the situation better. He passed a hand over his face. Well, time to get this over with. Hopefully, all he had to do was to get Grimmjow to actually talk to whoever it was that he was crushing on and this whole ordeal would be over.

"Well, then. Let's go," Ulquiorra said to Szayel in monotone.

Oh God, he was so screwed.

* * *

"Where the fuck is that little shit?" Grimmjow fumed.

He had been waiting for nearly half an hour and was very near to spontaneously combusting, his red face was a stark contrast to his shocking blue hair. That little shit really had the nerve to make him wait for so long. If that little emo was backing out of their agreement, he was so going to wring that pale man's neck!

Nnoitra watched Grimmjow curse, bored. Really. Grimmjow was acting like a child. They were at a local coffee shop; they had agreed to meet Ulquiorra here. Honestly, he could not care less whether Cifer turned up or not, but for his own sake, he hoped that the boy would hurry up. His ears were starting to bleed from listening to Grimmjow's griping.

He snapped to attention when he spotted a small, slender figure with raven hair walking towards them. Walking beside the pale man was a sour faced Szayel. The pink haired man obviously did not want to be there.

Nnoitra nudged Grimmjow. "Hey, fucktard. He's here. And he has brought company."

Grimmjow immediately stopped his tirade and glared up at Ulquiorra.

"Good afternoon, Nnoitra," Ulquiorra said politely. Then he turned to Grimmjow and said with distaste, "Grimmjow."

"You are fucking late."

And he was not talking about a woman's period.

Ulquiorra sat down opposite them, followed by Szayel. "I apologize," Cifer said smoothly, not looking sorry at all. "I was held up in school. I had some work to do." Yeah, right. "Now, let's get to it. I want to get this over with as soon as possible."

Grimmjow felt like leaping across the table and putting Ulquiorra into a headlock for acting so damned calm and indifferent. A growl resounded in his throat.

Cifer just gazed at him with bored emerald eyes. He did not feel intimidated at all. "Jaegerjaquez. Stop acting like a cat and tell me about your situation."

"I DO NOT ACT LIKE A FUCKING CAT."

Bored stare. "Make it a pregnant cat."

"Why you little-!" Nnoitra stepped in then, grabbing Grimmjow's fist which was about to land a hit on Cifer's doll-like face. Ulquiorra did not look disturbed at all which was remarkable considering the fact that he would have gotten a broken nose if Nnoitra had not intervened. He merely gazed at the scene happening before him with disinterest.

Nnoitra glared at Grimmjow. "You retard, calm yourself down. Everyone is looking." Sure enough, everyone in the little coffee shop were looking at them curiously, wondering what the commotion was about. Turning red, Grimmjow looked down and said, "Sorry."

"Now that everyone is behaving like rational adults," Nnoitra frowned in Grimmjow's direction. "We can begin. Grimmjow." He poked Grimmjow in the arm.

Grimmjow had to count to three to stop himself from knocking Nnoitra out cold. Letting out a shuddering breath, he began explaining to Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra listened, paying attention to every word that the teal haired man said even though he was undeniably bored. Just like he had expected, Jaegerjaquez' case was like one of the many others' that were too scared and clueless to make the first move. Insecurity issues. Scared of rejection. The usual. The man really was wasting his precious time. Szayel seemed to share the same thought because he had his arms folded across his chest, his eyes half lidded and his face one of boredom. He could see his pink haired friend's eye twitch. These insecure trash were going to be the death of him.

So, Kurosaki was the one Grimmjow was after? Not bad. The orange haired teen had his merits. He was certainly attractive and had somewhat feminine features. The boy was quite intelligent, as far as he could tell. He also shared certain traits with Jaegerjaquez. He was brash, rough and crude but he possessed a good heart. Kurosaki and Jaegerjaquez were made for one another, Ulquiorra found himself thinking bitterly.

"I see," Ulquiorra said in monotone when Grimmjow had finished talking and was now looking at him expectantly. Grimmjow stuck a cigarette into his mouth and pulled out a lighter, lighting the stick of cigarette up while waiting for Cifer's reply. Ulquiorra wrinkled his nose. What a disgusting habit. "The solution is simple. You just have to talk to Kurosaki. Ask him out." He had to resist yawning at how obvious the solution was.

Grimmjow stared at him. "How am I supposed to do that? Do I say hi to him? Or should I say hello? What should I talk about?"

Ulquiorra was about to open his mouth when Szayel held up a hand to silence him. He gazed at Grimmjow, cunning in his amber eyes. "Before that, Ulquiorra requires money for his services. Standard procedure." He smirked. Cifer threw an incredulous look at Szayel. What was Aporro Grantz doing? He had never asked for money in return and he was not about to start now. Besides, Szayel had just made him sound like some sort of male prostitute.

Szayel glared back at him, his amber eyes telling him to shut up. They had known each other for so long that they could even send each other messages by just looking at one another. And that look meant that he knew what he was doing and that Ulquiorra was not allowed to butt in.

The look on Grimmjow's face was priceless. The little shit had the nerve to make him pay for all of this! Fine then. Let him have it his way. He sent a death glare in Szayel's direction. Surprisingly, he said, "Fine. How much are we talking here?"

Szayel told him.

"What the fuck!" Grimmjow leapt up from his chair, pointing his finger at Szayel. "That is fucking outrageous! I will not stand for this!"

Szayel smirked, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Well, that's just too bad." He looked at Ulquiorra. "Come on, Ulquiorra. Let's go."

Grimmjow threw his hands up. "Fine!" He fished his jean pocket for his wallet and pulled out a thick wad of cash and handed it to Szayel. "There. Hope you are happy."

"Quite." Szayel grinned, pocketing the money. He had not expected Grimmjow to cooperate, he had wanted Grimmjow to back out but getting the money was not half bad. "Okay, Ulquiorra. Continue."

The green eyed man scowled. Really. Szayel was making money off of him. Now he _really _felt like a male prostitute. One that does not put out, anyways. He was going to have a talk with Szayel about that. He returned his attention to Grimmjow, who was now seated opposite him once more and puffing away on his cigarette. He felt like pulling that damned thing out of his mouth. "To answer your question, I think a 'Hi' would be sufficient," Ulquiorra said dryly, feeling like he was talking to a six year old. "Like I said. Just talk to him. Be yourself."

Grimmjow let out a puff of smoke. Smoking was not something he normally indulged in. He usually smoked one when he was feeling nervous and stressed. And right now, he certainly was nervous. He drummed his fingers on the table. "How do I get him to like me?"

"By giving a good impression." Ulquiorra noticed Kurosaki walk into the coffee shop with his usual group of friends – Rukia, Ishida, Chad and Orihime. Ah, speak of the devil.

"Really? How?"

"First, no smoking." Ulquiorra snatched the cigarette out of Grimmjow's mouth and snuffed it out.

"Hey!"

"It's a disgusting habit and it gives people a bad impression of you. So no smoking," Ulquiorra said shortly. "Second, talk." He got up and shoved Grimmjow in Ichigo's direction, taking the teal haired man by surprise.

"You little shit! I- argh!" Grimmjow knocked into an unsuspecting Ichigo, both of them falling to the ground.

Ulquiorra sat back down and watched the scene before him.

* * *

Grimmjow turned crimson like he always did when he was in the presence of the Sex God. He was right on top of Ichigo, who was rubbing the back of his head, wincing slightly in pain. "Err..." So much for a good first impression. That Cifer really was a menace. "I'm so sorry! I didn't see where I was going," he stammered.

Ichigo just gave him a pained smile. "Nah, it's okay. It sorta makes us even, you know? Since I knocked you down with a soccer ball in the first place." He laughed nervously. And then a most adorable blush graced his features when he realized how close he and Grimmjow were to each other. "Erm…" He looked at how close their bodies were.

"Oh right!" Grimmjow stood up and held out a hand which Ichigo gratefully accepted. "Here, let me help you up."

When Ichigo was up, he brushed at his clothes. "So, you are Grimmjow, right?" He tilted his head, smiling.

Grimmjow's heart nearly burst with happiness. Hey! Ichi knew his name! "Yes," he breathed.

"And those are your friends?" Ichigo nodded in Nnoitra, Szayel and Ulquiorra's direction. "And is that Cifer with a cigarette in his hand? I didn't know he smokes." He wrinkled his nose.

Noticing Ichigo's change in expression, Grimmjow said, "Yes. I think that it is a disgusting habit," parroting Ulquiorra's words. He knew that Ulquiorra would most likely kill him for giving out false information about him, but who cares, right? Ichigo Kurosaki the fucking Sex God was talking to him!

"Good. I think so too."

Grimmjow thanked his lucky stars that Ulquiorra knew what he was doing.

* * *

"I don't like him," Szayel announced, referring to Grimmjow.

Ulquiorra rolled his emerald eyes.

_No kidding._

Ulquiorra watched the event unravel before his eyes, his lips set in a thin line. Was Kurosaki actually _blushing_? Huh. It looked like Jaegerjaquez had not needed his assistance after all. Kurosaki seemed to already like the teal haired man. He narrowed his eyes till they turned into slits. He was staring at them so intensely that Szayel squeezed his arm. "Ulquiorra, are you okay? You look like you are trying to burn the wall with that death glare of yours."

Snapping out of his thoughts, he berated himself for letting his mind wander. Really. "I'm fine," Ulquiorra said brusquely.

Nnoitra adjusted his baseball cap. "Looks like they are gonna be awhile. Let's go hang someplace else while waiting for him." He got up and beckoned them to follow him. "Come on, let's go before my hair turns white."

* * *

Surprisingly, for classmates that never spoke to each other before, Nnoitra and Szayel got along very well. It was as if they had known each other forever. They shared jokes and laughed loudly at each one, startling passersby. They were walking around in the mall, checking out women. A sport that Nnoitra seemed passionate about. He kept on sending them lecherous stares and licked his lips now and again, and sometimes even waggling his eyebrows suggestively at them.

It would have been funny if he was not so serious about it.

Ulquiorra was having a great time. He had completely forgotten his earlier thoughts and was now smiling. Sure, he did not join in on their activity but he enjoyed watching their antics and talking to them. Some of the reactions they received from women were hilarious. Some giggled. Some winked back at them sexily. But most of them came right up to Nnoitra and gave him a tight slap across the face. One even spilled her drink on him on purpose.

Not that that would deter him.

Spotting an attractive, busty woman with long, flowing green hair, Nnoitra's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "My God. Who is that Sex Goddess?" Nnoitra breathed, his gaze fixed on the green haired beauty. She was laughing, her face lit up, and her eyes sparkling. She was wearing a tight fitting moss green tank top that showed off her generous cleavage and curvaceous body, and a pair of jeans. She really was a looker. Ulquiorra had to admit, Nnoitra had good taste.

"That, my friend." Szayel draped an arm over Nnoitra's shoulders. "Is Neliel Tu Oderschvank. Everyone calls her Nel, though. Her name is a bit of a mouthful."

"Neliel Tu Oderschvank," Nnoitra repeated, mesmerized. "What a beautiful name. I think I'm in love."

Yeah, right. That statement would have been more believable if Neliel's cleavage was not showing. And you know, if she was actually wearing a bra under her clothes. Till then, Ulquiorra considered all declarations of love from Nnoitra was actually coming from his penis, not his heart.

"I heard that she is still single." Szayel grinned.

Nnoitra lost no time in making his move. He waved and whistled at Nel, who was talking to an equally busty dark skinned woman with blonde hair. The dark skinned woman's navy blue jacket was cut in a very odd way that it covered half her face and only reached... Let's just say that Ulquiorra could see the bottom half of her tits. They looked like they were in deep conversation and were irritated to be interrupted by the very man that was hated by the whole female race. "Yoohoo! Hey, sweetie pie! You have a nice pair of sugar buns, there!"

Nel turned to look over her shoulder, sending a death glare in Nnoitra's direction. She gave him the middle finger.

The lanky man lowered his eyes to the ground, moaning dejectedly. Szayel patted his back. "Nice try, mate." Szayel turned his amber eyes to Ulquiorra. "Hey, Ulquiorra, didn't you and Nel use to go out?"

Nnoitra looked at Ulquiorra jealously.

Ulquiorra frowned. "No," he said shortly.

"But she liked you, right?" Szayel pressed.

Nnoitra wailed uncharacteristically.

Closing his eyes, Ulquiorra said, "Szayel, she had a massive crush on me, yes, but we were five years old." He shuddered inwardly. "She still liked making mud pies at the time and still drank from a sippy cup. So I don't think that that counts." He grimaced. His childhood days with Neliel were not pleasant. She had liked him so much at the time that she would make mud pies for him every single day. Made from actual mud. He had thrown up when he found a worm in his pie after which Neliel proudly declared that it was made from "actual mud". After that incident, he had distanced himself from her. He did not want to eat those wretched things again.

"So you don't like her?" Nnoitra said hopefully.

"No," Ulquiorra said firmly.

The lanky man's face split into a huge smile. "That means I've still got a chance," he said gleefully, rubbing his hands together. "I'm gonna get me a new pair of sugar buns."

Laughing, Ulquiorra took a sip from his orange soda. Oh, man. He fervently hoped that that Neliel's cooking and baking skills had improved since she was a child because if she hadn't, Nnoitra was going to end up in the hospital with food poisoning.

Just then, Nnoitra's cell phone rang. Curious, he pulled the device out of his pocket and flipped it open, wondering who it could be. "Hello?" Nnoitra pressed the cell phone to his ear.

Ulquiorra tuned out the conversation Nnoitra was having with whoever it was on the other line. He did not normally hang out with someone other than Szayel but he found that he was actually having a good time. Szayel was great and all, but sometimes, he needed to try something new. And this, was definitely new. Nothing could ruin this moment. Nnoitra snapped his cell phone shut, startling Ulquiorra out of his thoughts.

"Hey, that was Grimmjow. Apparently, Mission Impossible was successful because he and Kurosaki are going to go out on a date this Friday," Nnoitra informed them.

Ulquiorra did not know why, but after hearing the news, he was in such a bad mood and also felt a bit empty that it had completely ruined the feel good feeling he had been experiencing just moments ago.


	4. Chapter Four

Ever since Jaegerjaquez had asked Kurosaki out a few days ago, Ulquiorra's life had returned to normal. Just the way he liked it. He woke up, he got dressed for school, he studied in class, he hung out with Szayel, he ate, he slept. He was able to do all of that with the knowledge that he had escaped from exposing himself in all of his naked glory. And above all, he no longer saw Jaegerjaquez around.

This fact calmed Ulquiorra. He did not like the unfamiliar emotions that stirred within him whenever the teal haired male was around him. It made him feel uncomfortable. Now that he was gone, Ulquiorra was able to carry on with his normal life and fall back into his everyday routine that he used to do before he got mixed up with Jaegerjaquez.

The only thing different now was that he would get slightly irritated if the teal haired teen's name was uttered in front of him. Before this whole thing had happened, he did not give the name a second thought, brushing it off dismissively. Now however... Honestly, why would he want to hear that name?

That man had humiliated him.

Well, after Ulquiorra himself had humiliated him, but whatever, right?

The man had still humiliated him and that was something that Ulquiorra Cifer was not going to forget so easily. His pale cheeks turned pink at the memory. He touched his leg, his white hand resting on the material of his jeans. The feeling of Grimmjow's touch as he slid his hot hand up Ulquiorra's thigh still lingered, the memory haunting him whenever he was left alone to his own thoughts.

He was just fooling himself if he thought that his life was back to normal now. Something, something, no matter how miniscule, had changed in him after getting involved with Jaegerjaquez. But what, he did not know.

Ulquiorra Cifer was a curious creature. Ever since he was born he would poke and inquire about things. He wanted to know everything about anything.

But for once, he did not want to know. He preferred living in heavenly ignorant bliss for now.

* * *

Grimmjow was in seventh heaven.

Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration.

He was happy. Yeah. He was definitely happy.

He had finally gotten his Berry. Alright, not really. They had begun seeing each other, hanging out together frequently and they were certainly close but sadly, they were not a couple. They were definitely dating, yes, but they were not together. So they were free to date other people, something that they had made clear to each other. Not that they had not tried to take it to the next level. They have held hands of course, but other than that, zilch. Nada. Nothing.

It was just that whenever they tried to take it to the next level, Grimmjow would flee.

Ichigo walked beside him, his hands in his pockets as they walked across the courtyard, Grimmjow's arm slung across his shoulders. It was recess, so they were free to do whatever they wanted to do except create chaos or leave the school grounds. This suited Ichigo fine since he did not want to get into trouble with his teachers. Especially Kuchiki Byakuya.

The orange haired teen reached up at the hand that hung on his shoulder, his fingers touching Grimmjow's softly and then finally grasping Grimmjow's hand, their fingers interlocked. He smiled. This felt right.

Grimmjow looked down at the shorter teen, a slight blush adorning his face when he felt the teen hold his hand and then smile the gentlest of smiles. They had hung out a lot lately and he found out that Ichigo was not as tough as he made himself to be. He was tough, yes, but he had a soft side too. One that Grimmjow had never seen before. He had never thought that Ichigo would have a gentle side. Throughout the whole time that he was crushing on the Berry, he had always pictures the Berry to be tough and nothing else. It was just that Ichigo was not who Grimmjow had expected him to be.

Not that this changed anything.

Did it?

Nah.

At that very moment, the school bell rang, signalling that recess was over and that all of the students were to return to class.

"I guess it is time to get back to class."

Grimmjow snapped out of his thoughts. "Eh? Huh, oh yeah. Sorry, I totally spaced out."

Ichigo had removed Grimmjow's arm from his shoulders, now facing the teal haired teen with his warm brown eyes. They were standing very close to each other. If any teacher was to come across them, they would surely get into trouble but they did not care. It was not like the teacher could punish them for standing. His eyes seemed to be searching for something, looking into cerulean eyes. He tilted his head up. "It's alright."

Grimmjow gazed back, wondering what was up with Ichigo when he felt a tanned hand curl itself behind his neck, playing at the teal hair. Ichigo's eyes had fluttered close, his lips slightly parted, his motive clear. Grimmjow closed his eyes, feeling their breath mingle with one another. They were so close now. Reaching up, Ichigo had once again interlocked his fingers with Grimmjow's, pulling him even closer, their bodies now pressed up against each other's.

"Grimmjow…" Ichigo murmured, his lips ghosting over Grimmjow's.

They were so close.

He was so close.

All Grimmjow had to do was to lean down a bit more and their lips would meet in their first kiss. It would be his first kiss, he thought dizzily, his free arm wrapping itself around Ichigo's waist. How many times had he imagined this? How many times had he fantasized for this to happen? And now, now he had the Berry in his grasp, their lips millimetres away. It was mind boggling. He had never thought that he would reach this moment. He had always thought that this moment would be unattainable.

And yet, here he was, living his wildest dream. His dream was made possible. All he had to do was lean in and his dream would be complete. And it was all thanks to Cifer.

_Cifer._

"Grimmjow? What's wrong?" Ichigo's eyes had sprung open, wide and staring, a slight look of hurt on his face.

They were far apart from each other now, a stark difference from their distance from each other moments ago. Grimmjow was breathing hard, his face flushed, his back against a tree.

He had sprung away from Ichigo and his embrace, breaking all contact.

Away from their first kiss.

"I… err… I gotta go," Grimmjow stammered.

Ichigo watched at Grimmjow's retreating back as he ran away from Ichigo, leaving the Berry all alone. He hung his head, sad and dejected. Grimmjow had rejected him yet again. Every time they were going to lean in for a kiss, the teal haired man would run or say that he had something important to do. But he should not be expecting anything from the man. He knew that they were not an item. He could not demand anything from Grimmjow. He had no right to. They had agreed that although they were dating, they could meet other people.

If Grimmjow wanted to kiss other people, so be it. Ichigo was fine with that. If they _were_ together on the other hand, that would be different. He would have whacked Grimmjow within an inch of his life for even holding someone else's hand.

But why did Grimmjow always run away from him as though he had the plague? He looked up at the clear blue sky, the edges of his lips turning down slightly.

Was Ichigo that disgusting to Grimmjow?

* * *

Grimmjow mentally kicked himself for being so fucking _stupid_. What the hell was he doing? Why the FUCK was he running away from the moment that he had been waiting for all these years? He just could not understand it. One moment he was all pumped up and ready to plant one on those sweet lips and the next second, he found that he had jumped away from Ichigo.

He groaned.

How could he have been so stupid?

He was probably not going to get another chance like that again. Okay, that was another exaggeration. But what if Ichigo starts getting tired of him always hightailing it whenever things were starting to go up another notch? That they would be stuck in this position forever, never changing, never moving?

What made him wonder was what on earth had made him do what he had done.

Maybe he was just born fucked up. He remembered that he had been thinking about Cifer right before he had jumped away from Ichigo. What could this mean? Damn that man. Maybe that man's name was an instant turn off. He could only imagine what would happen if Cifer's name popped up in his mind if he was having sex. His thingy would turn limp. Oh my fucking God. That had better NOT happen. Otherwise, he was going to live a sexless life forever. Okay, he highly doubted that his reaction to Ichigo earlier had anything to do with Cifer.

Maybe it was because it was his first kiss and he just did not know how to, urm, deliver?

Whatever it was, he needed to see Cifer.

* * *

Ulquiorra bit into his sandwich, feeling much better that he now had something to fill his empty stomach. He was famished. He had been running around the whole day doing errands for his teachers and then ran around some more during Kenpachi's gym class. Luckily, no crazed lunatic had threatened to strip him butt naked this time. He was grateful for that.

He was sitting at a table with Szayel and surprisingly, Nnoitra. Nnoitra had begun hanging out with them ever since his best friend, who shall not be named, had started going out with a certain orange haired teen who shall also not be named.

Szayel nudged him, interrupting him from his thoughts. "Hey, there's Kurosaki and Jaegerjaquez." He pointed at a direction in front of them. As whenever the teal haired man's name was uttered in his presence, Ulquiorra sent a death glare at Szayel, who did not notice.

Emerald eyes followed the direction at which Szayel's finger was pointed at, instantly spotting the couple. There was no way anyone could have missed them. They both had ridiculous hair colours, after all. Kurosaki with his bright orange hair and Jaegerjaquez with his even more unusual hair colour which was the shade of teal. Orange and blue. The two were walking towards the courtyard, Jaegerjaquez' arm slung across Kurosaki's shoulders in what Ulquiorra could only describe as possessive.

"Eh?" Nnoitra said lazily. "Yeah, those two. Inseparable. Sickening, if you ask me."

Ulquiorra bit into his sandwich thoughtfully as he watched the couple. "Sickening?" he repeated curiously. They seemed happy to him. Then remembering how lovey dovey new couples could get, he said, "Well, of course, they have just gotten together. It is no surprise that they are acting like lovebirds." Ichigo was now holding Grimmjow's hand in his. Emerald eyes followed this action. It struck some sort of emotion in him, making him scowl, but he could not put a finger on it on to what it was. It had happened a few times already, but he had chosen to ignore it, deeming it insignificant.

Nnoitra rolled his eyes at this comment. "Together? Hardly."

A black eyebrow was raised. "What?"

The lanky man leaned towards Ulquiorra from across the table. "You heard me. They might as well _not_ be dating, by the way they are acting."

Confused looks from both Ulquiorra and Szayel. What on earth was Jiruga talking about?

Rolling his eyes once more, Nnoitra continued, "They don't talk. Period. They just look at each other. What kind of couple would that make them? A pretty stupid one."

It was then that Szayel opened his mouth. "Correction. A stupid_ and_ quiet one!" he giggled.

Nnoitra ran a hand through his hair. He had chosen not to wear a baseball cap today. He had opted to tie his hair into a low ponytail instead. Honestly, he had wasted his time and energy telling Grimmjow about Cifer if that bastard was just going to_ stare_ at Kurosaki the whole day. They were going to make a pathetic couple, if they ever get together. He could only imagine how their phone conversations would be like. There would only be long, awkward silences which those two idiots would deem as loving and tender.

What a bunch of crapheads.

He ought to give them both a swift kick in the balls. Maybe then they would see what he had realized a billion years ago. That Grimmjow and Kurosaki were simply not meant to be. The two may have similarities personality wise, but other than that? Pretty much nothing. The silence between the two was so thick, Nnoitra could practically suffocate in it. How could those two numbskulls not see, he did not know.

Like he said, they were a bunch of crapheads.

Nnoitra stretched, yawning. "I've been Grimmjow's best friend for as long as I can remember. And I'm telling you guys this, that Kurosaki boy? He is definitely not for Grimmy. Personally, I think that it is just infatuation."

Ulquiorra felt his lips twitch, threatening to turn into a smirk but he kept his face straight. He was not one to laugh at others.

_No kidding._

He could have guessed it himself. He knew things like this well. Infatuation. It was often mistaken as love but really, it was just physical attraction. It had little to do with real love. Sooner or later, once they have gotten to know the object of their 'affections' they soon realize that their crush was not all that great. It was just that when they were infatuated with that person, they would carve that person into their dream mate, not really taking note of the reality of how that person really was.

"Well, just wait for it to fade. Jaegerjaquez will get over it sooner or later," Ulquiorra said dismissively.

Nnoitra ignored Ulquiorra's statement. "You know, I can think of a few people who are better suited for Grimmjow," he drawled, his arms crossed against his chest, a knowing smile playing on his wide mouth.

"Oh?" Ulquiorra nibbled at his sandwich, bored. No doubt that Nnoitra was going to give them a list of really random people that did not really match with Jaegerjaquez.

"But only one comes to mind that I know is absolutely perfect for him."

"Oh, who?" Szayel asked excitedly. He leaned in, wanting to hear Nnoitra's answer. Ulquiorra watched the lanky man as well, his curiosity piqued. Who exactly did Nnoitra deem as perfect for Jaegerjaquez? Honestly, Ulquiorra could not think of anyone, and he was usually the one that was excellent at things like this.

But Jiruga kept silent. Instead he looked over at Ulquiorra, making him turn red.

The school bell rang then. It was time to return to class.

And then, they both knew.

Ulquiorra choked on his sandwich.

"You can't be serious!" Szayel exclaimed. Then, noticing Ulquiorra choking, he glared at Nnoitra. "Now look you've done to Ulquiorra! Don't make cruel jokes like that when he is eating." He rubbed at Ulquiorra's back and handed him a bottle of water, which the pale man quickly accepted and downed. When Ulquiorra had stopped choking, he pushed the rest of his sandwich away. Suddenly, he was not so hungry anymore.

Nnoitra rolled his eyes. Ulquiorra wondered how many times the man could roll his eyes. He sometimes wondered if they would roll to the back of his head if he did it too often. He did not dare to ask though. It was a silly thought, anyways.

"Hey," Szayel said softly. "Look who is coming this way."

Ulquiorra could not care less. That person, whoever it was, probably was not going to speak to him anyhow. He did not know many people. But people sure knew him. His white skin and huge emerald eyes, and not to mention his green trail of makeup, made him noticeable. They knew him, but most would not dare speak to him because of how cold he always looked. Only people who were close to him could understand him. Other people just thought that he was stuck up, when really, he just liked keeping to himself.

"Oi, Cifer! Don't you hear me talking to you?"

A most familiar face was shoved in front of his own. Ulquiorra immediately moved back, away from that face that was invading his personal space. "Jaegerjaquez?" he breathed. The teal haired man was out of breath and had his hands on the table, leaning towards him, a scowl on his face. "What are you doing here?"

"Finally! I was beginning to think that I would have to punch you in the face to get your fucking attention," Grimmjow said sarcastically. "I need your help."

"For what?" Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes. He was not pleased. He already knew the answer. He had only gotten a few days of peace and already it was being messed up all over again by the very same person that had messed it up in the first place. So, yeah, he was definitely not pleased. At all.

Grimmjow looked at Ulquiorra, and then turned his face away, suddenly embarrassed with what he was about to ask Ulquiorra help for. Would Cifer help him this time? He was scared that the pale man would not. It was, after all, a lot to ask for. A whole lot more than what he asked from the man before. "It has to do with Kurosaki."

A raised eyebrow. Silence.

It was a sign from Cifer for Grimmjow to continue talking and that he was listening. Great. He was going to have to ask Cifer, right here, right in front of Nnoitra and that Szayel. He felt like he was going to die. "I… I… I… I need you to teach me how to-"

Szayel cleared his throat, obviously trying to get Grimmjow's attention.

"_What_?" Grimmjow whirled on him, getting pissed off. What the hell did Aporro Grantz want now? And he was in the middle of talking (okay, fine, asking) to Ulquiorra, too! He was already sore with the pink haired man for making him pay a ridiculously large sum of money for one piece of advice from Cifer (although it did work). Szayel just smiled at him, his grin wide. He held out his hand, his palm outstretched.

"The usual fee, please."

What. The. Fuck.

"WHAT?" Grimmjow could not believe it. The little nerd was trying to get money out of him yet again! The asshole!

"The usual fee. Anyone who wants Ulquiorra's services has to pay," Szayel said simply. Ulquiorra glared at him. He was, once again, made to sound like a male prostitute. His friend really should choose his choice of words more carefully. He did not want anyone passing by overhearing this and taking it the wrong way. He was already being called a fag and Emo among his peers. He did not want the name _Gigolo_ to be added to the list. "Pay up."

Snarling, Grimmjow shoved his wallet into Szayel's hand. "Here. Take the amount you need. Now, I need to speak to Cifer. _Alone_." Szayel fingered the wallet gleefully. Grimmjow grabbed Ulquiorra by the wrist painfully, making the smaller man gasp, dragging him away from Szayel, who looked pleased with his new wad of cash, and Nnoitra, who has sending a thumbs up in Ulquiorra's direction, wishing him luck.

Oh, he needed luck, alright.

He needed a bloody miracle to get out of this one.

* * *

Grimmjow shoved Ulquiorra into an empty classroom, making Cifer stumble for a few steps. When he managed to regain his composure, he straightened up and turned around to face Grimmjow, annoyed. But his face did not betray any emotion. It was hard to tell what Ulquiorra was thinking; he hid his emotions well. He let out a sigh, frustrated. He was going to be late for class. Jaegerjaquez really was pushing it. "We are going to be late for class, you know," Ulquiorra said matter of factly, eyeing Grimmjow with annoyance.

Grimmjow looked at the floor, his face red, moving his feet now and then. He ignored what Ulquiorra had just said. He could not care less about what Urahara was going to do to him. Cifer was his favourite so he was not going to punish Ulquiorra, so that was not a problem. "I, uh…" He squeezed his eyes shut. Oh, God. This was going to be harder than he thought.

"What?" There was an unmistakable trace of impatience in Cifer's voice, he could tell.

He tried to get the words out. He really did. But they just did not want to. They just refused to leave his lips. Cifer, impatient, had already started to make to leave, thinking that Grimmjow was not even going to tell him what was going on. Ulquiorra did not appreciate being dragged around and thrown about like what Jaegerjaquez had done to him. The pale man walked past the teal haired man, his intention to leave clear. Grimmjow's hand came then, grabbing Ulquiorra by the arm.

Ulquiorra hissed. That hurt.

Then the words came. Like vomit. Word vomit. Sickening and fast. "I need you to teach me how to kiss."

Ulquiorra nearly laughed.

_Him_ teach Grimmjow how to kiss when he himself had _never_ kissed before? Was the man high? Trying to keep his laughter at bay, Ulquiorra said calmly, "I'm sorry, but I don't quite get what you mean." Was Grimmjow daft or something? He had never kissed before, but even he knew that all Grimmjow had to do was to press his lips against Kurosaki's to give the man a chaste kiss. If he wanted to go further, then they had to play tongue hockey. "This is not something that I can teach you by just telling you, Jaegerjaquez." Ulquiorra restrained himself from rolling his eyes.

It was true. It would be near impossible to try to teach something as… _intimate _as this with words. He had a feeling that once a person started kissing, pure instinct would kick in. Hence, teaching Grimmjow would be a waste of time.

"You don't understand, Ulquiorra." Grimmjow turned Ulquiorra around, so that they were now facing each other. Emerald orbs looked into his cerulean eyes questioningly. He pulled Ulquiorra towards him, making Ulquiorra stumble slightly till he bumped into Grimmjow's chest. Cifer raised his face so that he was looking up at Grimmjow, his cheeks tinted pink and a brief look of anger in his emerald eyes. He was about to open his mouth to come up with an angry retort when Grimmjow leaned down dangerously close to his face, their noses nearly touching.

That made Ulquiorra shut right up.

"You don't understand, Ulquiorra," Grimmjow repeated. He tightened his hold on Ulquiorra's arm. "I said, _I need you to teach me how to kiss_."

Ulquiorra suddenly became painfully aware that they were the only ones in the classroom.

He did not feel like laughing anymore.


	5. Chapter Five

Despite how panicky he was feeling on the inside, Ulquiorra tried to maintain his composure for as long as he could. There was no way he was going to freak out in front of Grimmjow when for all you know, the teal haired man could have just been joking. Just to mess around with his head. "Jaegerjaquez," Ulquiorra said coolly. "I know that Szayel made me seem like some sort of… _prostitute_, by the way he made you pay for my 'services', but believe me, I am far from that. So I would appreciate it if you would let me go and stop this foolishness."

"No." Grimmjow tightened his grip on Ulquiorra's wrist.

Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. OH MY GOD.

Ulquiorra was in deep shit, and he knew it. His cool exterior was beginning to crumble.

Was Grimmjow really going to do what he thought Grimmjow was going to do?

"Are you serious?" Ulquiorra laughed nervously, his eyes searching frantically for an escape route.

Apparently yes, because the teal haired teen snaked his other arm around Ulquiorra's waist, securing the smaller man so that he could not escape. Oh God. Ulquiorra could feel his face heating up. How was he going to get out of this mess? This was so wrong on so many levels. He simply could not allow Grimmjow to just simply kiss him. Ulquiorra shifted uncomfortably in Grimmjow's arms, only to have Grimmjow tighten his grip. He was not going to let the emerald eyed teen go so easily.

"Err… Sure, I can teach you how to kiss. It's so easy! All you have got to do is to press your lips against Ichigo's! Easy as pie! And then, when things start heating up, you both can move on to frenching." Oh my God. Ulquiorra was rambling now. He hardly ever rambled. He was _that _freaked out. "Think of it as tongue wrestling. Or tongue hockey. There! Our lesson is over. You can let go of me now." Ulquiorra tried pulling away only to be pulled back to Grimmjow's chest, making him squeak.

"Ulquiorra," Grimmjow said tiredly. "Shut up."

Ulquiorra gulped. He stood stock still as he watched Grimmjow slowly lower his lips towards his, entranced. Their lips were merely inches away now. Oh God. Why wasn't he running away like he was supposed to? Ulquiorra dug his fingers into the sides of Grimmjow's arms, bracing himself, but the teal haired teen did not seem to notice this. The blush on his doll-like face deepened, his breath caught in his throat. Was he going to let Grimmjow kiss him?

He slowly let his eyes flutter close when he felt Grimmjow's lips ghosting over his. Any second now…

"Ulqui-chan! Grimmy-chan! There you guys are! I've been looking all over for… Oh my."

Shit.

Both Ulquiorra and Grimmjow's eyes flew open. They nearly twisted their necks turning their heads towards the source of the voice. Urahara was standing in the doorway in his usual green outfit, his hat perched on top of his blonde head, and clogs. A total violation of the school dress code. Not that Urahara cared. The tip of his fan was on his chin, his mouth hanging wide open as he stared at them in surprise.

They were so busted.

Shit, shit, shit! Time for damage control.

"Mr. Urahara! It's not what you think! I-" Ulquiorra made to move towards Urahara but could not. Grimmjow still had not let him go. The taller teen merely stared at their Chemistry teacher in shock, his body unmoving. "Let me go!" No response. Frustrated, Ulquiorra shoved Grimmjow off of him, causing the teal haired teen to stumble backwards a few steps, knocking into a table. But this time, the taller teen did not seem to mind. He was too freaked out. Ulquiorra turned towards their still open mouthed teacher. "Mr. Urahara. I apologize, I-"

That was when Urahara began laughing.

Seriously.

He laughed, fanning himself. He was so loud, Ulquiorra was worried that passersby would hear him. "There's no need to be sorry! Everyone is allowed to love!" Urahara giggled. "And you two are just too cute! I never thought that you two are an item, but I must say, I can't think of a more perfect combination."

Ulquiorra paled. "What?" He could not believe his ears. Was his blonde teacher serious? Or was he bullshitting them like he would usually do to everyone? "Sir… Are you okay?" Ulquiorra said carefully.

"Yes, yes," Urahara said impatiently, waving his fan in front of Ulquiorra's face. "I don't mind my students being in love, but any hanky panky should be done outside of school. And especially not during my class. I will let this slide just this once. Just because you are both so cute." Urahara walked towards a stunned Grimmjow. "And also because you are going to give me money for some candy to keep my mouth shut." Grimmjow, who seemed to be everyone's ATM nowadays, wordlessly pulled out some loose change and some bills out of his pocket, placing them into his blonde teacher's outstretched hand. Urahara grinned and then his face turned serious. "But if I catch the both of you again, it's detention. Now get back to class." He swept out of the classroom.

Grimmjow shook his head, beginning to get over his shock. At this rate, he was going to be broke.

Ulquiorra did not know what made him do it. Maybe it was temporary insanity. Maybe he was possessed. Maybe his brain had shut down for a moment. Because he walked up to Grimmjow and said without thinking, "We'll continue this at my house after school." And he hurried after Urahara before he could change his mind.

* * *

Why was he born stupid?

It was after school, and they were both walking to his house. The silence between them was unbearable. They were both deeply absorbed in their own thoughts. Ulquiorra felt like kicking himself for letting the words "We'll continue this at my house after school" slip out of his mouth. Was he that incapable of controlling his mouth? But as you all know, he was a man of his word. And he was not going to back out of this one. Even though he felt sick to the stomach just thinking about it.

What possessed him to say something that stupid? To Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, no less?

When he had returned to class, Szayel wanted to know what Grimmjow wanted from him. All Ulquiorra did was say, "Nothing" even though the horror was plainly written on his face, but luckily, Szayel chose to leave it at that. He knew that Ulquiorra would tell him when he was good and ready. Szayel had even commented that Ulquiorra looked paler than usual and that he looked sick.

Well, Szayel was right.

Because Ulquiorra felt like puking.

"We're here," Ulquiorra said tonelessly.

Grimmjow snapped to attention. They had stopped in front of a quaint little house with its own neat garden in front. The grass was neatly trimmed and there was a row of pots of colourful flowers. It was cute. In a way, the place suited Ulquiorra. But, wasn't it way too small for Ulquiorra and his family to stay in? Assuming that Ulquiorra had another sibling, it would be horribly cramped in there. But he did not voice out his thoughts as Ulquiorra slid the key into the lock and opened the door, stepping in.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Ulquiorra said. "Come on in."

The teal haired teen did as he was told, his cerulean eyes surveying his surroundings. It smelled just like Ulquiorra. The place had a warm, welcoming atmosphere. A stark contrast of what Grimmjow had thought Ulquiorra's home would be. He had thought that Ulquiorra's home would have a cold, depressing air to it and be barely furnished. Or at least have cold, unfriendly looking furniture. The place even had several paintings and pictures hung on the walls. Grimmjow noted that everything was neat and in order. There did not seem to be anything out of place. Not even a stray cap lying around. Compared to Ulquiorra's place, Grimmjow's looked like a hurricane had just run through it.

Ulquiorra had disappeared into the kitchen and came back with a cup of orange juice, which Grimmjow gratefully accepted and drank. Ulquiorra may not like Grimmjow that much (or at least he thought so) but he knew how to treat his guests. When Grimmjow finished drinking the juice, he placed the empty cup on the table.

Ulquiorra watched silently as Grimmjow took in his surroundings. The teal haired teen walked up to the pictures that hung on one of the walls, his hands shoved in his pockets. Most were paintings of animals, but there were only two that could be counted as family pictures. One of the pictures depicted a young Ulquiorra, during the days when he was a toddler. His emerald eyes were huge as he stared up at the camera and he had a stuffed teddy bear in his arms. Grimmjow could not help but give a small smile. It was so cute. Another picture had a man and woman in it, who Grimmjow supposed must be Ulquiorra's parents. They were both incredibly good looking people. Grimmjow could not help but notice that Ulquiorra looked a lot like his mother. He had inherited her huge emerald eyes and her raven hair.

Grimmjow stabbed his thumb at the picture. "Where are your parents? They at work?" He had suddenly realized that Ulquiorra's place seemed strangely quiet.

"I don't have any parents. I live alone."

Grimmjow looked over his shoulder, alarmed. Oh, shit. He had just said the wrong thing, didn't he? He expected to see a fuming Ulquiorra standing behind him, instead, he saw the same old stoic Ulquiorra but his eyes betrayed some sadness in them. "I'm sorry," was all Grimmjow managed to choke out.

"It's okay." No, it was not okay. "My mother passed away giving birth to me. My dad left me years ago." Ulquiorra looked away. Why was he telling Grimmjow all of this? This was all private stuff. Only Szayel knew about this. But somehow, telling Grimmjow seemed right. "The only relatives I have now are my grandparents and they live all the way in the country. They send me money every month. It's not too bad." Ulquiorra shrugged. Why can't he keep his big mouth shut? "I like living alone."

Grimmjow stared at him.

_No, you don't. You are lying._

It all seemed to make sense now. The little house that was meant for one occupant. The lack of family pictures. The empty house. No matter how little, Ulquiorra had opened up to him and it made him understand the emerald eyed teen more. He felt sorry for the pale teen. "Ulquiorra, I-"

But Ulquiorra brushed him off. "It's fine now. It's all in the past." He did not seem to want to talk about it anymore.

Grimmjow bit his bottom lip. He did not press any further. He knew that some things were better left alone.

When Grimmjow remained silent, Ulquiorra cleared his throat. "We are here for a reason now, aren't we? Or have you forgotten?"

Grimmjow narrowed his cerulean eyes, completely forgetting the awkward silence that they shared seconds ago. He could not believe it. Ulquiorra was teasing him! Growling, Grimmjow approached the emerald eyed teen, who stared back at him, as though daring him to make a move. So Cifer thought that Grimmjow did not have the guts to do what he had wanted to do now, did he? He would show him. He stood in front of Ulquiorra till they were an inch away from each other. "I have not forgotten," Grimmjow hissed.

Ulquiorra resisted the urge to run and willed himself to stay put. The close proximity was making him nervous, but he did not show it. He was not going to freak out in front of Jaegerjaquez again. Once was enough. Or maybe, maybe a part of him actually wanted this? "Prove it." He bit his bottom lip. Since when had he become so bold? This was not like him.

"Fine." He saw the teal haired teen's face break into a feral grin, gladly accepting Ulquiorra's challenge.

Ulquiorra felt Grimmjow place his hands on his slim hips, and Grimmjow's lips ghosting over his as he pulled Ulquiorra closer. They stayed like that for a few moments that seemed like an eternity, their breaths mingling with one another.

Grimmjow had been inching his lips towards Ulquiorra's black and white ones but found that he had stopped when their lips were merely millimetres away from one another. He hesitated. Why was he hesitating now? He found that he could not bring himself to do it. He had been so hyped up to do this, and now he was chickening out? He dug his fingers into Ulquiorra's hips, eliciting a small hiss from Cifer. It wasn't that he did not want to. Hell, as wrong as it seemed, he wanted to ravage those attractive black and white lips of Cifer's and turn them into a delicious pink. It was more like he was scared. Scared of what, though? Grimmjow closed his eyes. Why on earth was he really doing this? Was it really because he did not know how to deliver? Or was it something else that made him seek Cifer? He found that he did not know the answer.

"I'm waiting." Ulquiorra's voice broke him out of his thoughts. Cifer had a smirk on his face. He was teasing Grimmjow again! Daring him. Pushing at his buttons. The little shit was really pushing his luck. "I knew that you wouldn't dare to do it. I-"

Grimmjow growled and closed the distance between their lips, shutting Ulquiorra up.

Ulquiorra stood still for a second or two, surprised. Grimmjow had actually kissed him. And although he had his mind set on thinking that it would be a very disgusting and unpleasant experience, he found himself to be actually _enjoying_ it. And returning it, no less. Really. Once his shock had subsided, he reached up and wrapped his arms around Grimmjow's neck, his fingers curling into that surprisingly soft spiky teal hair.

When Grimmjow felt Ulquiorra return the kiss, he decided that it was time to take things up a notch. He pushed Ulquiorra against the wall, pressing their bodies together, deepening the kiss as he slid his tongue into Ulquiorra's wet cavern. Ulquiorra's mind was spinning at the sensation of feeling Grimmjow's hot, muscled body pressed up against his and his tongue dancing inside his mouth, teasing Ulquiorra's tongue. The emerald eyed teen moaned softly into Grimmjow's mouth. What was he doing? He had agreed to kissing. Not frenching. This was going too far. He had to stop this.

"Grimm… Grimmjow…" Ulquiorra panted, his eyes glazed over with lust.

"Hmm?" Grimmjow's tantalizing lips had left his, and were now trailing hot kisses along his neck until they finally settled on nipping and sucking at a very sensitive area between Ulquiorra's neck and shoulder.

"Aahh…" Ulquiorra moaned. Why wasn't he stopping this? Before it goes any further… But Grimmjow's touch was hot against his skin. Like fire. How could he think straight with Grimmjow kissing him like that? With a touch of guilt, he found himself wanting more.

Ulquiorra's sweet moans were like music to Grimmjow's ears. He continued sucking, licking and biting on that sensitive spot until it turned red, making Ulquiorra moan even more, his hands now fisted in Grimmjow's teal hair. Ulquiorra turned his head, making his neck more accessible for Grimmjow. The heat of the moment was unbearable. Ulquiorra's mind was screaming at him to stop. This was wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong…

But why did it feel so right?

Grimmjow's hands left Ulquiorra's slim hips and were now massaging and squeezing the emerald eyed teen's ass brazenly, making the slender man give out a small gasp. Ulquiorra's hold on him tightened, pulling Grimmjow so close till they were practically flush together. With Ulquiorra here in his arms, their bodies seemed to fit together perfectly. _Almost as if we were made for each other_, Grimmjow thought absently. He returned his pink lips to Ulquiorra's black and white ones. Cifer was intoxicating. Intoxicating him and his senses. And Grimmjow wanted to taste more of him.

He crushed his lips against Ulquiorra's, his hot tongue drinking in the emerald eyed teen hungrily. He wanted to hear Ulquiorra make more of those sweet sounds. Never before had a sound driven Grimmjow wild. One of his hands left Ulquiorra's tight ass and was sliding its way up. Past Ulquiorra's slim hips, past the sensitive area around the waistband of Cifer's jeans and up to his toned stomach, pulling Ulquiorra's black shirt up slightly.

_Too far_.

Ulquiorra's eyes immediately snapped open when he felt Grimmjow's hand against his stomach, bringing him back to reality. He grabbed Grimmjow's wrist, stopping his movement, and pushed him slightly, breaking the kiss. "Enough," he breathed.

Grimmjow groaned, disappointed that their make out session had come to an end and slowly opened his cerulean eyes, his eyes meeting with emerald ones, his forehead resting against Ulquiorra's. Both of their eyes were glazed over with lust but the looks were slowly disappearing. They were both breathing heavily from their previous activity, their breaths coming out in puffs. As they stared at each other, the same realization hit them at the same time.

_They were each other's first kiss_.

"Urm…" Ulquiorra shifted uncomfortably, averting his eyes from Grimmjow's. This was awkward. Grimmjow's hand was still resting against his stomach.

Grimmjow noticed that a most adorable blush graced Ulquiorra's doll-like face. He also noticed, with some satisfaction, that Cifer's lips were now a soft pink and swollen. Then, he stared at the spot where he had sucked Ulquiorra. Cifer was not going to be happy with him tomorrow, that was for sure. He felt Ulquiorra tug at his wrist. Looking down, he noticed that the palm of his hand was still flat against Cifer's toned stomach. It took all of the self restraint that he possessed to stop himself from yanking the emerald eyed teen's shirt off.

"You can let go now," Ulquiorra said in a small voice.

Grimmjow let his hand slide off Ulquiorra's abdomen and let it fall to his side.

"And the other one," Ulquiorra said.

_What other one?_

Like as if he had read Grimmjow's mind, Cifer said, his blush deepening, "The one on my ass."

Oops.

Indeed, Grimmjow did not realize that his other hand was still squeezing Ulquiorra's ass. Embarrassed, Grimmjow dropped his offending hand and muttered, "Sorry."

"It's okay," Ulquiorra said softly, surprising Grimmjow. Grimmjow had expected Ulquiorra to beat the shit out of him for touching Ulquiorra at such a naughty place. Squeezing and massaging it no less. They both knew that he was more than capable to beat Grimmjow up. But Grimmjow kept his mouth shut about it. He was not going to push his luck. He was not stupid.

They stayed in that position for several more minutes, their foreheads resting against each other. Although they did not say it, they were both enjoying and savouring the moment, unwilling to part. It was at that very moment that Grimmjow's cell phone chose to beep, signalling that it had received a new message.

Grimmjow flipped his cell phone open, and noticed that it was a message from Ichigo.

The message said; _meet me in an hour in front of d cinema. Dun 4get our d8_._ ;)_

Ulquiorra had read the message, his eyes downcast. "Well, I guess that you better get going. You wouldn't want to be late," Ulquiorra said gently. Strangely, he felt a sinking feeling in his heart when he said that. He was ashamed to admit that somehow, he did not really want Grimmjow to go.

Grimmjow flipped his cell phone close. "I suppose so," he murmured. He did not really want to go either.

When Ulquiorra gazed into those cerulean eyes of Grimmjow's he could have sworn that he saw something that looked like a flicker of doubt appear briefly in the teal haired teen's eyes. Or something like that. Doubt about what though? Doubt about Kurosaki? Ulquiorra shook his head, ridding his mind of all thoughts. This was crazy. Jaegerjaquez liked Kurosaki. There was no going around it. He was thinking too much about something so small and insignificant. It had probably meant nothing.

Ulquiorra closed his eyes. He felt Grimmjow straighten up and while he was doing so, Grimmjow had accidentally brushed his lips across Ulquiorra's forehead. Or was it an accident? He felt Grimmjow's warmth leave him, letting the cold air rush in. When he opened his eyes, he saw that Grimmjow was at the door, his hand on the doorknob.

Emerald and cerulean eyes met.

"Well, I'll see you around," Grimmjow said, a hint of pink tinting his cheeks. God. This was awkward. "And, urm… Thanks, Ulquiorra." Grimmjow mentally kicked himself for saying that. Maybe that was not the best thing to say, but it was the best Grimmjow could come up with. He honestly did not know what to say in a situation like this.

Ulquiorra just nodded numbly at him, and Grimmjow left, closing the door shut gently behind him. Suddenly, Ulquiorra felt so alone.

* * *

Ichigo's brown eyes fluttered open, his lips moist and still tingling from their kiss. "Wow," he said. He snuggled against Grimmjow's form, sighing contentedly as he draped Grimmjow's arm around his shoulders. They had finally kissed. He was beginning to think that Grimmjow might have been straight, or something. Now that their movie date was over, they were sitting on one of the benches in the park.

Ichigo noted that Grimmjow had seemed distant throughout their whole date, constantly zoning in and out. As though he was deep in thought. But Ichigo did not say anything about it. He understood that everyone had their moods. If this behaviour continued, _then_ he would be worried. Perhaps Grimmjow had something on his mind.

"Yeah," Grimmjow said absently. He wrapped his arm around Ichigo's waist, pulling the orange haired teen closer, as he looked up into the star strewn night sky. Ichigo nuzzled Grimmjow's neck, closing his brown eyes.

The kiss that he and Ichigo had just shared was undeniably nice. Hot, even.

But it was different. He did not know whether this fact was good or bad. Grimmjow screwed his eyes shut. God. He had _got _to stop thinking.

_It just isn't the same_.

* * *

Ulquiorra sank onto his bed, lying on his back as he stared up at the ceiling. His room was neat, just like the rest of the house. His room was not very colourful. It held his three favourite colours; green, black and white. There was an occasional burst of green amongst the black and white colours in his room. Ulquiorra flung his arm across his eyes, blocking the ceiling from his sight. He sighed.

What was happening to him?

He had been so certain that he did not like the teal haired teen.

But the way he felt, the way he acted whenever he was around Jaegerjaquez… These feelings were so foreign to him. He was not so certain about what he felt anymore. Usually, Ulquiorra knew what he thought about things. Everything. But with Jaegerjaquez, things were not as clear. He had ignored these thoughts earlier, thinking that they were insignificant. But apparently, they _were_ significant, because they had already begun to affect him. And he did not know what to do.

What was he supposed to do when he did not know what he felt for certain?

Ulquiorra slammed his fist onto the mattress.

Everything was a fucking mess.

He could still feel Jaegerjaquez' lips pressed against his, his tongue in his mouth, his touch against his skin… And the worst part was that Ulquiorra had actually_ liked_ it. He felt like his body had betrayed him. And so was his mind, slowly but surely. He hated this. He hated not knowing what to do. Not knowing what he felt. And his heart? What about his heart?

His cell phone rang shrilly, interrupting him from his thoughts. He groaned, screwing his eyes shut. He felt like flinging the damned thing against the wall. Of all the times someone chose to call him. He was not in a communicative mood. He reached for his cell phone on the table beside him, barely registering in his mind that the caller was Nnoitra when he saw the lanky teen's name flash across the screen.

"Hello?" Ulquiorra said listlessly, pressing the cell phone to his ear.

"Hey, Cifer," came Nnoitra's easy voice. He sounded like he was at a crowded area. Probably at the mall, checking girls out, Ulquiorra thought dully. "Let's go to the amusement park tomorrow. I heard that there's a carnival going on."

The amusement park? That did not sound like Nnoitra's style. "I don't know…" Ulquiorra hesitated.

"Oh, come on. It'll be great. It'll be a great opportunity to check out chicks."

Ulquiorra rolled his eyes. He should have known.

"Or in your case, check out guys. You like guys, right?"

The emerald eyed teen's face turned crimson. "That is none of your business, Jiruga," Ulquiorra said crisply.

"So I'm right, right?" He could practically feel Nnoitra grin on the other end of the line. "You do swing that way. Anyways, you've gotta come. You hardly have any fun."

Ulquiorra closed his eyes. "Fine. I'll go," he said tiredly. He had not been to an amusement park before. Not even when he was a kid. His father chose to spend as little time as possible with him. Besides, it would be an excellent way of getting his mind off of things. God knows how fucked up his mind was now what with it being cluttered by tons and tons of his thoughts and worries.

"Excellent," Nnoitra said. "I'll tell Szayel and Grimmjow that you are coming as well."

_Or maybe not._

SHIT.


	6. Chapter Six

It was official.

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez must die.

Ulquiorra glared at his reflection in the mirror, inspecting the location in between his neck and shoulder. There was a huge, angry purple _hickey_ there, staring right back at him. Must the teal haired moron wonder leave such a huge and OBVIOUS hickey for everyone to see? And Ulquiorra himself was no better! A pink tinge appeared on his cheeks at the memory. He did not do anything to prevent this from happening. And the fact that there were some scratches on his hips where Grimmjow had dug his fingernails into just added insult to injury.

There was nothing else for it. He had to wear a damned turtleneck today, of all things, if he wanted to conceal the hickey and his activities from the previous day. He must be the only crazy person who was going to wear that in this hot weather.

This was all Grimmjow's fault.

* * *

When he arrived at the amusement park, Nnoitra, Szayel and Grimmjow were already there. Ulquiorra was already perspiring slightly wearing the damned turtleneck. But that was the price he had to pay if he wanted to conceal that hideous hickey of his. He looked at his friends (Grimmjow could be counted as a friend, he supposed… somewhat) with a twinge of jealousy when he saw that they were dressed in shirts and jeans – far more cooling attire than what he was wearing.

Nnoitra immediately greeted Ulquiorra as soon as he reached them, grinning. "Yo, Cifer! Isn't it too hot to be wearing that sort of outfit?"

Ulquiorra glared at him. He was not in the mood to be teased. Especially when the heat was beating down on him mercilessly, as though telling him to take his top off. "I'm feeling fine," Ulquiorra told him flatly.

"Yeah, right," Nnoitra said, rolling his eyes. Then he cracked a mischievous smile, gesturing at Grimmjow, who stood next to him. "Anyhoo, it's about time you arrived. Grimmy-chan here was getting worried about you."

"Shut up, Nnoitra," Grimmjow huffed, turning his face away from Ulquiorra's curious gaze, his face heating up noticeably. "And I was not."

"Deny and deny until you die, Jaegerjaquez, but fact will always remain as fact." The lanky man gave him a shit eating grin. "Let's go! I want to score some chicks!" He gestured at them to go in as he walked together with Szayel, leaving Grimmjow and Ulquiorra behind. Ulquiorra could have sworn he saw Nnoitra wink at Szayel, who threw them a mischievous glance.

Those two paired off on purpose so that he would be left behind with Grimmjow!

Seething, Ulquiorra almost did not hear Grimmjow clear his throat. "Well, I guess that it's just you and me, then."

Ulquiorra looked at the teal haired teen, starting to get nervous like he always did whenever he was around Jaegerjaquez. "Yes, I suppose so," he murmured.

* * *

"I don't know why you dragged me to this place," Ichigo complained. "I must be crazy to let you drag me out of the house in this weather, you midget. I don't know why I always spoil you."

His raven haired female friend ignored that comment. "I think it is a good idea," Rukia argued. "Chappy the Rabbit is going to be here," she said brightly, her eyes shining. "Besides," she added, "I'm sick of seeing you sulk around in the house over that Grimmjow guy."

Ichigo coloured a wonderful shade of red. "_I do not_," he denied heatedly to which Rukia responded by rolling her eyes.

"Whatever you say, Ichigo."

Silence. They walked together, both lost in their own thoughts, passing booths without even giving them a second glance. Ichigo's mind was in total turmoil. He wanted to make things official with Grimmjow. So far, they were just dating. Never mind the fact that they had already kissed. Fact was, he had initiated the kiss and he knew very well that Grimmjow had liked it. But it had ended as soon as it had begun. There was something preventing them from going to the next level, he could feel it.

_They were sitting on a bench in the park, Ichigo laying his head against Grimmjow's shoulder. It was a cool night and stars were strewn across a black blanket that was called the sky. The only sound that could be heard was the comforting rhythm of Grimmjow's steady breathing. Everything felt so peaceful. The moment was perfect, in Ichigo's opinion._

"_Grimmjow," Ichigo said._

_The teal haired teen turned to look at him, snapped out of his reverie. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately, Ichigo noticed. "Yeah?"_

_Ichigo kissed him then. The orange haired teen had raised his face so that his lips would meet Grimmjow's, surprising the other man, who immediately stiffened. He raised a hand to touch the side of Grimmjow's face, caressing his cheek lightly. The lips against his were still. A few seconds later, Grimmjow abruptly pulled away, breaking off all contact, his handsome face unreadable and flushed as he breathed heavily. It had apparently taken him a lot to not only resist but to pull away from those tempting pink lips._

_The teal haired teen looked at the ground then. Ichigo could have sworn that he had heard Grimmjow say the words "I'm sorry"._

There was definitely something holding Grimmjow back. It did not take a genius to figure that out.

Ichigo groaned, scratching the side of his head as he tried to figure out Grimmjow's perplexing behaviour. It seemed to Ichigo that Grimmjow was torn in two about something. The man always seemed to be half there. There was nothing wrong about the way he was treating Ichigo. He had been treating Ichigo the same way he had always done, but sometimes, the teal haired teen would go into one of his silences, apparently deep in thought about something. Ichigo could see the inner conflict that shone through those cerulean eyes. Grimmjow wanted to be with him but something was holding him back.

The question was, was whatever that was holding Grimmjow back more powerful than the urge that Grimmjow had to be together with Ichigo?

The answer to that remained elusive.

Or maybe Grimmjow was a commitment phobic?

Ichigo sighed, passing a hand over his brown eyes. Maybe it would be better if he started setting his sights on someone else. He was on the losing end of this battle. Grimmjow was obviously too damned confused to get into a relationship with Ichigo. And as much as the orange haired teen would like to be with Jaegerjaquez, he would rather be with someone that was more sure about what he felt. But Ichigo was not sure whether he really wanted to do that.

"Ichigo, if you really like him, you shouldn't give up. Especially if there is evidence that he does like you," Rukia said quietly.

Brown eyes turned to look at her, surprised, but her face was turned away from his, her eyes downcast and her hair covering her face so that he was unable to see her facial expression. For some weird reason Rukia had been against him dating Jaegerjaquez from the very beginning. It was like she had held some sort of grudge against Grimmjow for reasons beyond his comprehension. In fact, now that he thought about it, she had been against every single guy or girl that he had set his sights on. Not that she was rude to any of them or anything, but he could tell from her face that she disliked every single one of them. He found her behaviour rather odd. Ichigo never asked her about this; he just put it down to over protectiveness.

"What?" Ichigo said in disbelief. "Are you okay, Rukia?"

"The hell I am!" she snapped, turning to look at him, shocking Ichigo with how angry she looked. Then, suddenly realizing what had just come out of her mouth, she gave a shaky laugh, "Of course I am, Ichigo. Sorry for snapping at you. This weather is making me moody."

When Ichigo continued to look at her disbelievingly, Rukia averted her gaze from those warm brown eyes. "Ichigo," she said, "Just go for it. If he doesn't want you, then it is his loss."

"But…" Ichigo began.

"No buts," Rukia said firmly.

The orange haired teen bit his bottom lip. "But I don't know how. Besides, he probably doesn't even like me so it's better to just look for someone else." He was making excuses.

"If you want him to take you seriously, then you have to start getting serious." She raised her purplish blue eyes to look him in the eye then.

Then Ichigo knew.

"W-What?" he spluttered, his face red at the thought. "You have _got_ to be kidding me!" When Rukia remained silent, he continued, "There is no way that I'm going to do _that_!"

"What's the problem, Ichigo? You like him, and if he likes you back, he will agree. Just invite him over to your house when your family is out and see how things go from there," Rukia said like as if it was the easiest thing in the world to do.

Ichigo's eyes nearly bugged out of his head at what Rukia was suggesting. "No. Fucking. Way. In. Hell," Ichigo breathed, putting emphasis on each word he uttered.

"What have you got to lose?" Rukia shrugged, then pointed at a direction in front of them. "You can ask him now. He's right in front of us."

Brown eyes followed the direction that her finger was pointing at and then spotted Grimmjow by one of those booths selling cotton candy. And he was with someone else. Someone who looked hauntingly familiar. Pale skin. Slender form. Messy, raven hair. Green tear track make up running down each of his eyes. Lips curled into a smile. The greenest eyes that he had ever seen were lit up. Ulquiorra Cifer. Ichigo could not help noting that Cifer looked beautiful. He had never seen the emerald eyed teen like that before. Usually, Ichigo saw him looking very depressed but now, he almost seemed…_ happy_. Grimmjow and Cifer seemed to be having a good time.

"I don't know…" Ichigo said doubtfully. "He seems to be pretty busy at the moment with his date." He did not know whether Cifer was Grimmjow's date but he was just assuming. It sure looked like it anyways. He did not like the idea of barging in on Grimmjow's date.

SMACK!

Rukia had smacked him in the head.

"Oi! What was that for, midget?" Ichigo grumbled, rubbing the side of his head. That hurt.

Ignoring what Ichigo had said, Rukia said, annoyed, "Ichigo, forget about Cifer. If you like him, just go for it. I mean, you are kind, smart and incredibly hot." She gestured at Ichigo. "If he says 'no' to you, he is obviously stupid or is suffering from brain damage."

When Ichigo stared at her, she said heatedly, "What?"

The orange haired teen cracked a smile. "You just said that I am hot," he teased, ruffling her hair affectionately.

Rukia turned red. "Shut up and go." She pushed him in Grimmjow and Ulquiorra's direction, eager to avoid talking about the subject, and watched Ichigo approach Jaegerjaquez hesitantly. He looked back at her doubtfully and she gave him a thumbs up to show that he was doing great. She mouthed, "Go for it."

When he turned away from her, she dropped her facade and looked at the ground.

Sometimes she wished that she would take her own advice.

* * *

Despite the hot weather and the fact that he was paired off with Grimmjow (Szayel and Nnoitra were merely a few stalls away but they refused to let Grimmjow and Ulquiorra near them, saying that Grimmjow and Ulquiorra had to spend more quality time together, of all things), Ulquiorra was actually having a pretty good time. Especially after he had gotten over his nervousness. Grimmjow could act less like a teal haired moron wonder if he wanted to. They had spent a good amount of their time talking, playing some of the games available, going on some rides (but only after being persuaded by Grimmjow) and just plain arguing – some people would have called this flirting but they said otherwise.

It is obvious that we feel nothing for each other, Ulquiorra reasoned.

"You were scared on the rollercoaster just now," Grimmjow teased.

"I was not," Ulquiorra denied. Lies, lies, lies! Ulquiorra had turned pale after getting off of the rollercoaster. He vowed to himself that that was the last time he would let Grimmjow persuade him to go on any rides which involved him being hung upside down, making him fear for his life.

Ulquiorra looked around at everything curiously. Everyone there seemed to either be with their family, friends or partner. The air was full of laughter and happiness. This was all rather unfamiliar for him.

He had never gone to one of these places before. His father, Aizen, hated him. While everyone else had a childhood and loving parents, Ulquiorra had spent most of his life inside his room alone or watching people through his bedroom window carry on with their daily activities. Aizen hardly spent any time with him, choosing to avoid his own son. He supposed it was from this that Ulquiorra's curiosity about how people could love each other was born – because he had never felt love himself. Then, one day without telling him, Aizen had up and left Ulquiorra to fend for himself.

He had never felt so alone. And unloved.

Aizen's parents, who were quite well off, wanted Ulquiorra to stay with them. But of course, the emerald eyed teen had declined. Being around them reminded him of his distant father. So that was how he came to living on his own. His grandparents had let him stay at a little house they owned here and they sent him a monthly allowance for his daily needs. It was lonely at first, going to a school where he did not know anyone and where a lot of people regarded him as a freak. But when he met Szayel, things became better, and everything else was ancient history.

It was rare for Ulquiorra to be happy, and today was one of those rare days that he would let a smile appear on his lips.

And lately, things were quite good, albeit very confusing. Life seemed to have taken a good turn ever since Grimmjow turned up in his life. Although Ulquiorra found him to be very annoying at first, he admitted that he would never have gotten a new friend in the form of the forever horny Nnoitra if Jaegerjaquez had not approached him. And Grimmjow himself? Ulquiorra did not know what to think of him. He certainly did not think of the man as his enemy (like he did before) nor did he think of the teal haired teen as a friend.

Of course, Grimmjow just had to open his big mouth and ruin the moment.

"I know why you are wearing that." Grimmjow smirked. He reached out to tug the turtleneck down so that he could see his work.

Ulquiorra glared at him, slapping the hand away. He did not need to be reminded of what they had done yesterday. Having the stupid mark on his neck was reminder enough. "Shut up, Grimmjow."

The teal haired teen grinned. "Must have been pretty big, huh?"

"No, it wasn't," Ulquiorra said quickly.

"We'll see for ourselves." Before Ulquiorra could think, Grimmjow had grabbed him and pushed him against a wall in a secluded area where there was hardly anyone wandering around.

"…" Ulquiorra's mind was running a mile a minute. This position seemed hauntingly familiar, except this time, Grimmjow was holding on to his shoulders instead of his hips, keeping him there against the wall. The close proximity was making him breathless. "What are you doing?" he asked through gritted teeth, trying to conceal how much this position was affecting him.

Grimmjow ignored the question. He cracked a lopsided grin, looking devilishly handsome. "So how do you think I did yesterday?"

"… I… I… I don't know."

"Hm." Grimmjow did not seem very pleased with that answer. He lowered his head to Ulquiorra's neck, his lips hovering over the spot he had sucked and nipped the previous day. "Answer the question, Ulqui," he said patiently.

Ulquiorra was beginning to blush furiously now. He cursed his misfortune for being born with naturally pale skin. It just made his blush painfully obvious on his white skin; a serious drawback of having skin like his. He knew Grimmjow was not going to give up until he answered his question; Grimmjow was just that type of person. Persistent. "You… you did well," Ulquiorra said finally, giving in, sounding like a teacher commenting on how well his student had done on his exam.

Honestly? Grimmjow had done all of the work. Ulquiorra was just there to give him some positive or negative feedback.

Positive being Ulquiorra giving appreciative moans and negative being Ulquiorra pulling away from the kiss.

"How about if we did some revision?" Grimmjow suggested, pulling the turtleneck down so that the purple bruise on Ulquiorra's neck was revealed to him in all its glory, his hot breath caressing the marred skin.

_What?_

"Revision?" Ulquiorra echoed. He was getting a bad feeling about this. He thought that this thing was over and done with and now Grimmjow wanted to do some _revision_? There was no way he wanted this whole ordeal to be repeated again.

Did he?

"Yes, revision," Grimmjow confirmed. "After all, practice makes perfect." His lips grazed the purple bruise, making Ulquiorra's skin tingle. He smiled. He enjoyed making Cifer squirm. His reaction was just too cute for words. The blush that graced Cifer's features was adorable, priceless. The smaller man really was sensitive to the lightest of touches. "Before yesterday, I never thought that you could be so…_ vocal_, Ulquiorra," he added, pushing Cifer's buttons.

It took a few moments for it to register in Ulquiorra's mind that Grimmjow was teasing him.

Growling, Ulquiorra said, "Damn it, Grimmjow, this is not funny." He pushed at Grimmjow's chest, making him take a few steps back.

Ulquiorra could have sworn that he saw a look of hurt flit through cerulean eyes but he put it down to his imagination making him see things that were not there, because the next second, Grimmjow was chuckling.

"What is so funny, Jaegerjaquez?" Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes.

Ulquiorra could not believe it. Grimmjow was _laughing_ at him. If Cifer was not so against unnecessary violence, he would have killed Jaegerjaquez right then and there. He hated being teased so mercilessly by Grimmjow. "Nothing. It's just that you are just too cute, Ulquiorra," the teal haired teen said between laughs. Realizing what he had just said, Grimmjow clammed up.

The emerald eyed teen looked at him incredulously.

Did Grimmjow just call him cute?

But Grimmjow was saved from explaining himself when something pink and fluffy caught Ulquiorra's eye. Following the emerald eyed teen's gaze, Grimmjow's eyes landed on a stall selling cotton candy.

Grimmjow frowned. "What are you looking at that for?"

"What's that?" Ulquiorra wanted to know, not caring if he sounded like a clueless idiot. His natural curiosity was taking over him now. He had only seen those things once or twice but he never knew what they were.

A teal eyebrow was raised. "You don't know what that is?" Grimmjow said slowly.

Cifer shook his head.

"That's cotton candy," Grimmjow said, pulling Ulquiorra over to a booth selling some. Surprisingly, Ulquiorra followed him wordlessly, the curiosity in his emerald orbs forever present. "One, please," Grimmjow said to the man selling the cotton candy. He would have asked for two if he was not so low on cash – this was, of course, Aporro Grantz and Urahara's doing. His parents nearly threw a fit when they found out how much he had spent lately. His family may be well off, but everyone had their limits. And Grimmjow had nearly reached his.

When the man gave him the cotton candy, Grimmjow turned to Ulquiorra, who was looking at him inquisitively.

"What is that for?" Ulquiorra asked, tilting his head.

Grimmjow let a small smile cross his lips. It was nice to be the one teaching Cifer this time instead of the other way around. Cifer may be intelligent and acted like a responsible adult all the time, but Grimmjow noticed that the emerald eyed teen had some child like qualities whether the smaller man wanted to admit it or not. And one of them was this – his curiosity.

"It's for eating, Ulquiorra," Grimmjow explained. He plucked a small piece of the pink cotton candy and raised it to Ulquiorra's black and white lips. "Here. Try it."

Cifer stared at the pink fluffy cotton being held to his lips. It then occurred to Grimmjow that Cifer might try to bite his fingers off just to get back at him for teasing him so mercilessly just now. He would not put it past Ulquiorra to do something like that.

He was about to withdraw his hand when he felt Ulquiorra's lips envelope his fingers, making him catch his breath. The smaller teen sucked and licked his fingers until the pink cotton was completely gone, melting in his sweet mouth. The sight of Ulquiorra sucking and licking his fingers was so hot that Grimmjow had to try _very _hard to suppress a moan that threatened to come out of his mouth. When he was done, Ulquiorra gave Grimmjow's fingers a final lick, running his tongue seductively along Grimmjow's digits. "It's sweet," Ulquiorra said finally.

Grimmjow stared at Ulquiorra. Did he just do that on purpose?

Jaegerjaquez was about to open his mouth when he felt Ulquiorra suddenly bite down on his fingers painfully.

"OW! What was that for, teme?" Grimmjow yelped, aiding his wounded fingers by sucking the small trickle of blood that was coming from the wound that Cifer had inflicted on him. "Why did you bite me?"

"That, was for giving me a hickey and also for teasing me just now," Ulquiorra said dryly, withdrawing. He smiled.

Grimmjow stared at Ulquiorra.

"You are evil, you know that?" Grimmjow said, to which Ulquiorra responded by sticking his pink tongue out at him.

"So are you," Ulquiorra countered. He knew that he was acting really childishly, but he could not help it. Something about Jaegerjaquez stirred something inside of him, making him act however he wanted.

"Teme."

"Moron."

"Bitch."

"Bastard."

"Dickhead."

"Asshole."

They glared at each other for a long while, until finally, the both of them smiled.

"We are acting like kids, aren't we?" Ulquiorra said.

"Yeah," Grimmjow agreed, rubbing the side of his head sheepishly. "Sorry about before."

"It's quite alright, I-" Ulquiorra began.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Ulquiorra and Grimmjow turned to find Ichigo standing in front of them, looking and feeling out of place. He smiled awkwardly. "Hey, Grimmjow, Ulquiorra," the orange haired teen greeted. They looked surprised to see him but they soon got over it. Ulquiorra gave him a small smile and shook his hand politely. He got a more enthusiastic greeting from Grimmjow, though.

"Hey, Ichi!" Grimmjow grinned. "Want to join us?"

"No…" Ichigo said carefully. "Actually, I want to speak with you." He noticed that the whole time, Cifer was not looking at him, but rather, at something behind him. He wondered briefly what Cifer was looking at. He had always found the pale teen a mystery among his classmates.

Ulquiorra stared at someone over Ichigo's shoulder. He noticed that a pretty, petite girl with raven hair was staring at Ichigo with longing and a hint of sadness in her eyes. Kuchiki Rukia. Somehow, he felt like he could relate to the look on her face, but he did not know why. Not yet anyways. He gave her a small smile, which she returned, a silent understanding coming over them. Ulquiorra sighed, averting his gaze. It was obvious that the woman was holding a torch for Kurosaki. He felt sorry for her.

Grimmjow nudged Ulquiorra, making the smaller teen look up at him inquiringly. "Ulqui, I'm going to go talk to Ichigo for awhile, alright?" the teal haired teen said apologetically. He handed the cotton candy to Ulquiorra, who accepted it quietly.

"It'll just be for awhile," Ichigo said quickly. "I don't want to ruin your date or anything."

Ulquiorra looked at Ichigo as though the orange haired teen had sprouted another head. "Date?" he repeated. "What makes you think that we were on a date?"

"Err… Well, it's just that the two of you looked really close so I, I thought that the two of you were going out," Ichigo stammered.

The first word that came to Ulquiorra's mind was:

Bullshit.

That was the most ridiculous thing Ulquiorra had ever heard. Him and Grimmjow? There was no way on earth that him and Grimmjow would ever go out. Grimmjow was just too… too… Okay, Ulquiorra did not know what was wrong with Grimmjow, he was still trying to find out what, but there was definitely something wrong with Grimmjow.

_You would never go out with him? Didn't seem that way when the two of you were sucking each other's face off yesterday_, an annoying voice in his head said smugly.

_Shut up_, Ulquiorra bit back mentally.

"Well, we are not on a date," Ulquiorra said firmly. "We are just friends. Right, Grimmjow?" He looked at Grimmjow but the teal haired teen had his face turned away, avoiding Ulquiorra's gaze. The cerulean eyed teen just grunted in response, suddenly in a bad mood. Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow at this. He decided that Grimmjow was not right in the head what with his unpredictable mood swings.

"Hmm." Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes. How childish.

"Oh really?" Ichigo said, his face noticeably brightening up.

"Yes," Ulquiorra confirmed. The look on Grimmjow's face turned slightly sour at that. Like he said; not right in the head. "I'll let the two of you talk. I'll be with Szayel and Nnoitra," Ulquiorra said dismissively, waving his hand at them.

Even though he was the one that was walking away from Ichigo and Grimmjow, Ulquiorra felt empty.

* * *

"Where's Kurosaki?" Szayel asked as the two of them sat on a bench together, watching the sun set.

Unbelievable. They had actually spent the entire day at this place. Szayel thought that they would only be here for a few hours. He rested his amber eyes on his slender friend and sighed. Ulquiorra had been rather glum since he had come to him and Nnoitra with no Grimmjow in tow. His emerald eyed friend had always been a little gloomy (unavoidable due to the life that he led) but he seemed to be even more gloomy than usual. Of course, Nnoitra did not notice this. He was too busy drooling over every cute little thing that passed them. He swore that if Nnoitra was not careful, one day Nnoitra's eyes would literally pop out of his head.

"…"

"Did the two of you fight?" Szayel asked gently.

He was getting worried now. This was not normal Ulquiorra behaviour.

"No. He's talking to Kurosaki," Ulquiorra said finally, jerking his thumb in a direction where two specks that represented two teenage boys with orange and teal hair could be seen talking to each other.

Aporro Grantz rolled his eyes. "Is that what's bugging you? Geez. If I didn't know any better, I would have said that you are in love with the guy," Szayel joked.

_In love?_

"In love… with Grimmjow?" Ulquiorra echoed, confused. Was he in love with Grimmjow? The teal haired teen certainly did stir some unfamiliar emotions in him and made him feel nervous yet comfortable by just being near him. Shaking his head at even thinking of the possibility, Ulquiorra said quickly, "No, that's not it."

"So what's the problem?" Szayel pressed.

Ulquiorra scratched at his neck, pulling the collar of his top down absentmindedly to let the air in. He was sweating in that silly turtleneck. "It must be the weather…" Ulquiorra said.

Szayel grabbed Ulquiorra's wrist then, his amber eyes widening, horror clearly written on his face. "What the fuck is that?" Szayel breathed. Ulquiorra tried pulling his hand away but Szayel held on to it tightly, not letting go, his eyes nearly bugging out of his head in disbelief.

"What, what?" Nnoitra said excitedly. "What are you looking at, Pinky?" He popped over Szayel's shoulder, looking at whatever Szayel was gaping at. When he saw it, all Nnoitra did was grin and say, "Awesome." And then he got distracted by another female passing by. "Hey, Neliel!" he called out, walking towards her and putting his arm over her shoulders. He leered at her cleavage. "Nice tits."

Neliel glared at him, displeased to have Nnoitra as company. She looked like she was about to say something scathing when she thought better of it, a sly look coming over her features. "Let's go over to my place," she purred, batting her eyelashes flirtatiously.

Nnoitra was completely under her power and she knew it. The fact that she was not wearing a bra again today also helped. Grinning, Nnoitra wrapped an arm around her waist and said, "Lead the way, baby." Then he turned to look at Ulquiorra and Szayel, who were both still staring at each other in disbelief (on Szayel's part anyways), before disappearing into the dying crowds. "See you guys in school, alright? I'm going home with Nelly here!"

Szayel ignored Nnoitra, his amber eyes permanently fixed on a spot on Ulquiorra's neck. Ulquiorra braced himself, knowing that his best friend would over react and get into a fit. And he was right. Because the moment his pink haired friend opened his mouth, he shrieked, nearly turning Ulquiorra deaf, "HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET THIS HUMONGOUS HICKEY?"

Ulquiorra winced. "Can you please keep it down, I-"

But Szayel was not listening. "Who? How? Where? When?" he ranted. Then, piecing the event from the previous day when Grimmjow had asked Ulquiorra for some 'help' with the hickey on Ulquiorra's neck together, his amber eyes widened in comprehension. He pulled a face. "Ewww…" He let go of Ulquiorra's wrist, wrinkling his nose. He was so going to make Grimmjow pay extra next time. "Dude, that is so _wrong_."

"I know," Ulquiorra said miserably.

_Maybe he really was in love with Grimmjow._


	7. Chapter Seven

Szayel found his best friend sitting under a tree outside of school, his doll-like face placed delicately on his knee, sad emerald orbs gazing into the blue sky, apparently deep in thought. It was recess. He looked like he was carrying the burden of the whole world on his shoulders. Szayel recognized that look. It was the look that Ulquiorra wore every year on this very day.

It may be Ulquiorra's birthday today, but it was also the day that his mother passed away. Szayel knew that Ulquiorra's mother had died giving birth to him, and Ulquiorra had always blamed himself for it. And his asshole for a father, Aizen, just made it worse by alienating his only son. Aizen hated Ulquiorra because in his eyes, his son had killed his beloved wife.

The bastard.

It was on this day that Szayel would try to make things easier for Ulquiorra. During the whole of Ulquiorra's life, there was a hole in his heart where his mother should have been. And Szayel would try his best to fill it, even though he knew it would only be temporary. No matter how brief, it eased his heart to see Ulquiorra smile, even just for a moment, on this very day. It hurt him to see his best friend in pain. Not that Ulquiorra would ever show it; he did not want Szayel to worry. But Szayel knew. He always knew. He could tell by just looking at Ulquiorra's face, no matter how well he masked his emotions.

Ever since he had learned about the pain that Ulquiorra carried in his heart, Szayel swore to himself that he would protect his friend from pain. His friend had suffered enough, he certainly did not need any more to add to his suffering.

What Ulquiorra needed was someone to love him. Not just anyone. But the right person.

Szayel smiled to himself. He remembered that when they were younger, Ulquiorra was curious about Valentines Day. Ulquiorra back then was pretty much the same as the one he knew now, except more vulnerable and innocent due to how young he was. Szayel had explained to him that it was a day that people celebrated love. He knew that Ulquiorra had always been curious about love. Maybe even sceptical about its existence since he had never experienced it. No surprise there. Ulquiorra did not exactly receive any love from his father. So Szayel gave Ulquiorra his very first Valentines Day card.

"_Szayel?"_

"_Yeah?" Szayel was polishing his glasses. When he was satisfied with how clean they were, he put his glasses back on and looked at his best friend. They were sitting up in a tree, as it was their favourite place to hang out after school._

_Ulquiorra was wearing a pair of shorts and a simple white shirt with a green stripe across the chest. He was a skinny kid and he did not look very healthy. His clothes simply looked too big for him. Even as a child he was burdened with many worries that a child should not bear. Even though he chose not to display his emotions, the way his empty life affected him was shown on his appearance. The little boy with huge emerald eyes kicked at his feet absentmindedly, looking at his worn out sneakers now and then._

_After a moment of silence where Ulquiorra tried to find the words to speak to Szayel, Ulquiorra finally asked, "Why was everyone giving each other cards and flowers and heart stuff today?"_

_Szayel looked at him curiously. "It's because it's Valentines Day," he said carefully._

"_Oh." Silence. Then Ulquiorra spoke up again, "What's Valentines Day?"_

_The pink haired boy leaned his head back, looking up at the leaves in the tree. "It's a day when people celebrate love. But nowadays, it is so commercialized, it's hardly about love anymore with people; it's all about getting presents."_

"_I see."Ulquiorra paused. "So love does not exist?"_

_At the look on Ulquiorra's face, Szayel rummaged through his backpack. He knew that he must have an empty card in there somewhere. When he found it, he pulled out a pen and began scribbling on it. It was a simple card, but it was cute. It was completely white and had a big red heart on the front. After he was satisfied with what he had written, Szayel nudged Ulquiorra. _

_Emerald orbs were raised, looking at him inquiringly._

_Szayel pushed the card into Ulquiorra's small hands. "Here, this is for you. Happy Valentines Day." Szayel smiled._

_At the confused look on Ulquiorra's face, Szayel explained, "Love is not only celebrated by couples. It is also for friends and family. Just as long as you love that person. As your friend, I love you."_

_The pale boy opened the card then, and read it. A small smile formed on his face, his eyes lighting up slightly. He looked so adorable then. So full of innocence. Looking up from the card, Ulquiorra closed it carefully. "I love you too, Szayel." He pulled the surprised pink haired boy into a hug. "You are my best friend."_

Maybe it does not mean much now, but back then, you should have seen the happy smile that had spread across Ulquiorra's face.

And to Szayel, that was well worth it.

It was certainly one of his fondest memories.

And, come to think of it, that made Ulquiorra his first Valentine. In a way.

"Hey, Ulquiorra."

Startled emerald orbs were raised. Realizing that it was just Szayel, Ulquiorra relaxed. "Hey, Szayel."

One thing was for sure, he would never allow anyone to hurt his best friend.

* * *

Grimmjow badly wanted Urahara's class to end. It was too torturous. How on earth did that man end up being a teacher? Not that there was anything wrong with the way the man taught, but it sure as hell annoyed Grimmjow. The man mostly giggled and fanned himself throughout the whole lesson, all the while sucking on a lollipop. Some people may find that this made the class all the more interesting, but it just irritated Grimmjow and it made it hard for him to understand. How could anyone understand what the man was saying anyways when he had a lollipop stuck in his mouth? Grimmjow just wanted the ground to open beneath his feet and swallow him whole.

Bored, he shifted his gaze to rest on the pink haired teen that sat a few tables away in front of him. How could he listen to Urahara? _And understand the man, no less_, Grimmjow wondered. That Aporro Grantz character must be a nut case. Cerulean eyes wandered around the class until they finally landed on a slender, raven haired teen. Ulquiorra Cifer. Now he was another weird one. How could he listen to Urahara? But the way he listened to Urahara was different from Szayel. Szayel listened to him because he was interested. Ulquiorra did it out of necessity. The boredom in his eyes was evident.

It was hard at first, but eventually, Grimmjow found that he was able to understand Ulquiorra. Difficult, because the pale teen often concealed his emotions behind a cold mask. It was hard, but if Grimmjow looked hard enough, deep enough, he could see a faint flicker of emotion in those emerald orbs.

Grimmjow could not understand his sudden fascination for Cifer. If that was what you could call it. He had begun being fascinated with Ulquiorra since they had shared a… Oh, gosh, this was way too embarrassing. You all know what they had shared right?

They had shared a fucking kiss.

Not just any kiss.

A kiss that got a little carried away.

A full blown make out.

He noticed that the pale teen seemed a little out of it today. Like he was somewhere far away, dealing with his own pain. Grimmjow could not explain why exactly, but he wanted to take that pain away. Pain was something that should never be present in someone like Ulquiorra. Why was Cifer feeling pain? That, Grimmjow did not know. Ulquiorra was still pretty much a mystery to him. That part, anyways.

Lately, the pale teen seemed to be haunting Grimmjow's thoughts, his dreams. He would always find himself thinking about Cifer. Grimmjow just could not understand it. How could someone that he only knew for a few weeks affect him so? Take over his mind so easily? He remembered every touch they had shared. He knew that they were "fake". That the kiss was "fake". But he remembered them all the same. There was no way that Cifer would remember them.

Cifer was like a fucking robot, incapable of feelings. But that day at the amusement park, he felt like he shared something special with the pale teen. That day Cifer had actually let his guard down and allowed him to see his emotions. For that one day, Grimmjow did not see the tight assed bastard that he knew, he saw an actual human being – well, he supposed that day when he went to Ulquiorra's house, he was able to see a bit of the pale teen's vulnerable side too, making him seem more real and less like the robot Grimmjow once thought he was. But all too soon, Ulquiorra put his defences up again when he left to join Nnoitra and Szayel.

Feeling Grimmjow's intense gaze on him, emerald orbs were raised to look at him questioningly.

The teal haired teen immediately looked away, embarrassed at being caught staring.

This was fucked up. And so wrong.

But the question still remained.

Why did he react this way to Cifer? What did Cifer do to him? How could one scrawny kid turn the strong Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez into nothing but a confused mess? What did this all mean?

Fuck this.

This was too much for him to handle. There were too many questions. Too many questions nagging at him, at the back of his head, forever echoing and repeating themselves in his mind. What the fuck did this all mean? He wanted answers, but at the same time, he did not want them. He was scared of what he would find out.

And there was the matter on Ichigo. He had been all weird that day at the amusement park. He had asked Grimmjow whether he would like to come over to the Berry's house one of these days. Grimmjow just shrugged and said "okay", thinking it was not a big deal. But apparently, it was a big deal because when he had told Nnoitra about it later, Nnoitra grinned and said, "About time you're gonna get some ass."

Honestly, Grimmjow sometimes wondered whether Nnoitra thought about anything else besides sex.

And there was no way that that was the reason why Ichigo had invited him to his house.

… Was it?

_Nah, couldn't be_, Grimmjow thought. Ichigo did not seem like the type. He probably just wanted to watch some TV or something.

Then, finally the bell rang, signalling the end of the class. Grimmjow jumped out of his seat, grabbing his backpack and making his way to the door when he heard Urahara's singsong voice call out, "Grimmjow."

What the fuck did the man want now?

Grimmjow so did not have any money on him at the moment.

Groaning inwardly, Grimmjow turned around slowly to face his blonde teacher who sat behind his desk, fanning himself. Grimmjow felt like snapping that stupid fan in half. Would Urahara give that thing a rest already? The teal haired teen approached his Chemistry teacher wordlessly. What did Urahara want? He fervently hoped that the blonde man was not going to back out of his promise and decide to tell everyone about how he had caught Grimmjow and Ulquiorra in each other's arms.

God knows that Ulquiorra would have killed him on the spot for ruining his perfect reputation. Or maybe bite his fingers clean off.

When the teal haired teen was standing across Urahara, the blonde man looked up, his face suddenly serious. Grimmjow had a bad feeling forming at the pit of his stomach. Whatever this was, it was not good.

"Grimmjow." Urahara set his fan down, his tone no longer singsongy (was that even a word? Not that Grimmjow cared; he was just checking) and more serious-like. "The exams are drawing near."

"…"

So? What did that have to do with anything?

"And I have noticed that you are doing very badly for this class."

No big duh.

Urahara took out a piece of paper. It was a quiz that he had made them take a few days ago, and it was filled with a whole buttload of red marks. Grimmjow wondered which poor bastard did that piece of paper belong to.

And then he saw his name scrawled on the top left corner of the paper in his own handwriting.

Damn it!

"If you don't start getting more serious, you are going to fail the exam. I expect you to study and do better," Urahara said, pushing the paper towards Grimmjow.

Grimmjow was in deep shit. He knew he had to pass his exams otherwise he would never hear the end of it from his parents. But for the life of him, but he just could not understand Chemistry.

Urahara must have seen the look on Grimmjow's face because the next thing he said was, "Why don't you ask one of the top students in this subject to tutor you? I'm sure that our very own Szayel Aporro Grantz who scores 100 percent on the subject all the time would be more than happy to help you." The blonde man fixed his gaze on the pink haired teen who was packing his things. Szayel turned to look back at him. "Wouldn't you, Szayel?"

"No fucking way in hell," Szayel answered simply, glaring at Grimmjow, who returned the glare.

Now, Grimmjow knew that they did not really like each other, but wasn't this a bit much?

"Well, that settles it then." Urahara clapped his hands. "No one is going to teach you."

Grimmjow stared at Urahara, open-mouthed. How could he take the whole matter so seriously one second and so lightly the next? The blonde man did not even mind Szayel's use of language. This guy was weird. Grimmjow never could figure him out. But who was going to help him now…? There was no way he could do this on his own.

"I can tutor him," a voice said softly. Ulquiorra appeared beside Grimmjow, his books clutched to his chest. "I can teach him after school."

"Ah, Ulqui-chan. Yes. My only other student who scores marks nearly as high as Szayel." Urahara leaned forward, pleased. "How very nice of you to help your boyfriend."

Ulquiorra coloured. "He is not my boyfriend," he murmured.

"He's your girlfriend then?"

"Oi," Grimmjow said irritably. He was not anybody's bitch.

But Urahara just laughed, picking up his fan and fanning himself.

Grimmjow felt like sticking that fan up Urahara's ass.

* * *

When Urahara was done talking to Grimmjow, he left the class, leaving Ulquiorra, Grimmjow and Szayel by themselves. Grimmjow could practically feel the hostility that was radiating off of Szayel. Ulquiorra's hand rested on the doorknob, looking at Grimmjow over his shoulder. "Well, we agreed to studying at my house, right? Then come on," he said.

Szayel chose that moment to suddenly speak up. "Wait, I have to speak with Grimmjow for a moment."

Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow questioningly. So did Grimmjow. What did Szayel want to talk about? The pink haired genius never exactly bothered initiating a conversation with Grimmjow before, why start now?

"Just want to ask him a few things." Szayel shrugged sheepishly.

"You go on ahead. I will meet you at your house. I know the way," Grimmjow said. "I'll see you in a bit, Ulqui-chan."

Ulquiorra frowned at the nickname but nodded, closing the door gently behind him when he left.

"So what did you want to talk about, Grantz?" Grimmjow asked.

When Szayel was certain that Ulquiorra was out of sight, the pale teen's footsteps no longer heard, he turned to face Grimmjow with such a venomous look on his face that Grimmjow took a few steps back. He had never seen Szayel look so angry. Annoyed, yes. But never angry. Never with so much hate in those amber eyes. Szayel walked towards Grimmjow till he was directly in front of the teal haired teen. Grimmjow may tower over Szayel in height, but that certainly did not scare the pink haired teen one bit. Then he did something surprising; Szayel wrapped his fingers around Grimmjow's neck and pushed Grimmjow roughly against the window.

Grimmjow could hear the glass of the window shattering and felt some of the glass cut into his back. He hissed in pain.

"What the FUCK are you doing, Szayel?" Grimmjow demanded. Something wet was trickling down his back and he had a sneaky suspicion that he knew what it was. He struggled, grabbing the hand that Szayel was using to grip his neck to push it away, but to no avail. _Why am I always the one being shoved around? _Grimmjow thought desperately.

The grip that Szayel had around Grimmjow's throat tightened, threatening to choke the teal haired teen. Amber eyes flashed at him dangerously. "I'm here to give you a warning," Szayel growled.

Grimmjow knew that he could easily overpower Szayel. The pink haired teen was not that strong. But there was something about the way Szayel was glaring at him that stopped him from doing so. And besides, his words intrigued Grimmjow.

"Warn me about what?" Grimmjow narrowed his eyes. You know what he had thought about Szayel refusing to help Grimmjow study was a bit much? Well, he was wrong. THIS was a bit much. And what was so damned important that the pink haired teen wanted to warn him about that he would resort to bodily harm? Grimmjow did not like being pushed around, but he was curious. He wanted to know.

"That if you so much as hurt Ulquiorra, you will have me to answer to."

Come again?

"What are you talking about?" Grimmjow growled. "Why the hell would I do that?"

Szayel closed his eyes, letting out a shuddering breath. "I've seen the way you look at him."

Grimmjow's eyes widened. The nerd knew? And he had been so careful about it too.

"And I know for a fact that Ulquiorra is in love with you, whether he realizes it or not."

The classroom they were in went eerily quiet. The only sound that could be heard was Grimmjow's laboured breathing.

Wait a minute, wait a minute.

Hit rewind and press play. What did Szayel just say? Grimmjow was pretty sure that he had said _"And I know for a fact that Ulquiorra is in love with you, whether he realizes it or not."_ But that couldn't be possible now, could it? Because there was no fucking way that Cifer could be in love with him. The tightening grip on Grimmjow's throat brought him back to reality; that he was being held against a broken window by a nut case. And that he was pretty much suffocating now.

"Bastard," Grimmjow spat out. "There is no fucking way that Ulquiorra is in love with me. You are obviously crazy. Let me _go_."

"Oh really?" Szayel pushed Grimmjow further up. More broken glass tore at his back. "I was not born yesterday, Grimmjow. I'm not an idiot."

Grimmjow hissed. Those cuts were going to take some time to heal. They were going to be a bitch later. "Well, apparently you _are _an idiot. Fucktard."

"All I know is that if you break his heart just because you can't decide between him and Ichigo, you will have me to answer to," Szayel said primly, ignoring what Grimmjow had just called him. "He doesn't need that in his life. He doesn't need you to use him like he is some play thing. He deserves more than that." Szayel was shaking now. Gone was the anger in his voice. He almost sounded… _sad_. No, that was not it. Heart broken?

When Grimmjow noticed the way Szayel's voice shook and the moisture that was gathering around his amber eyes, Grimmjow said softly, "You are like, in love with him, aren't you?"

This comment earned a tight squeeze on Grimmjow's throat. "You'd better decide. Soon. Before you hurt anyone. I'll be damned that if I just stand by doing nothing but watch you hurt Ulquiorra."

Grimmjow stared at Szayel. "You are crazy."

"Maybe. But I know that I am right. I am_ always_ right." He released his grip on Grimmjow's neck, letting the teal haired teen fall to the ground, breathing heavily. Grimmjow glared up at Szayel, who shoved one hand into his pocket while the other adjusted the backpack on his shoulder. "Just remember what I said, Jaegerjaquez." He left the classroom as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

* * *

"Oh, hello, Grimmjow."

The first thing that Ulquiorra noticed about Grimmjow when he opened the door to let the teal haired teen in was that Jaegerjaquez seemed to be in a bad mood. That, and there was slight pain in his face. Another thing that he noticed was that the back of Grimmjow's shirt was stained crimson. Alarmed, Ulquiorra grabbed Grimmjow's wrist. "What happened?" he breathed, staring at the stain.

Grimmjow pulled his hand away. "Nothing," he lied. He was not sure whether he wanted to tell Ulquiorra that his best friend had gone psycho on him.

"Tell me," Ulquiorra demanded.

Ah, geez. Ulquiorra could be so pushy and demanding sometimes. Avoiding Ulquiorra's penetrating gaze, Grimmjow said, "I fell on some broken glass." Well, that was not a complete lie now, was it? At least the broken glass part was true.

Luckily, Ulquiorra seemed to accept this. "Wait here," he said.

He disappeared into the kitchen and when he returned, he held a small medical kit in his hands. "Take off your shirt."

Grimmjow stared at him, backing away. "No, you pervert."

Emerald eyes narrowed at him dangerously. "Speak for yourself. As I recall, I was not the one who could not keep his hands to himself the other day," he said dryly.

The cerulean eyed teen turned crimson when he remembered what his traitorous hands had done a few days ago. "Okay, okay, fine, you win," Grimmjow grumbled, pulling his shirt off.

"Good."

Ulquiorra stared at Grimmjow's back, running his fingers lightly over the wounds, making Grimmjow hiss. The cuts were not too bad. They were not deep. They were shallow. But shallow enough to draw quite a bit of blood. He took a damp towel that he had soaked earlier and cleaned the wounds, wiping all of the blood away. He felt like a mother caring for her son. "You really are careless, Grimmjow, falling down like that," Ulquiorra commented, after he was done cleaning the teal haired teen's cuts. He opened a bottle from the medical kit and soaked a big ball of cotton with it.

"It is not my fucking fault that I- ARGH!" Grimmjow yelped when he felt something cold and wet being swabbed over his cuts. It stung like hell. "What the FUCK did you just do to me? That fucking HURT!" He glared at Ulquiorra over his shoulder. "Don't you fucking dare wipe that thing on me again you little shit or I will- AGHHH!"

"My. What colourful language."

Ulquiorra continued disinfecting Grimmjow's wounds, completely ignoring the agitated teal haired teen's protests. Honestly. Grimmjow was like a child sometimes. It did not matter what Jaegerjaquez said. He would have carried on doing what he was doing regardless of what Grimmjow said. What mattered now was that Grimmjow's wounds had to be taken care of. When he was done, he pulled out a roll of bandage.

Grimmjow relaxed once the torture was over but tensed up once again when he felt Ulquiorra's hands around his chest. Ulquiorra was bandaging him. Since Grimmjow was taller and bigger than Ulquiorra, the pale teen had to reach up, his chin on Grimmjow's shoulder while he worked. The emerald eyed teen's breath was warm and his touch was cool against his skin. Familiar. Comforting. The feeling of Ulquiorra's hands going around him as he wound the bandage around his chest and back was gentle, light, carefully avoiding the wounds, almost as though he did not want to hurt Grimmjow.

It felt nice.

"Ulquiorra?"

Ulquiorra kept silent but Grimmjow knew that he was listening, so he continued, hesitating, asking the question that had been nagging at him this whole while, "Has Szayel always been… protective over you?"

A pause in the pale teen's movements. Then he resumed his work. "Yes," he said softly. "Ever since he knew about how my life is like, he seems to consider himself as my older brother. Why do you ask?"

_Or more like he thinks of himself as your deranged boyfriend_, Grimmjow thought angrily. "Nothing. Just curious." Another lie.

"Hmm."

One last question; "Why are you being so nice to me?"

Another pause. "Because you are my friend. I care for you."

"…"

When Ulquiorra's hands came up in front of Grimmjow's chest to tie the bandage, Grimmjow reached up and touched those pale hands softly, keeping them in place, making Ulquiorra suddenly stop his movements.

"Grimmjow…?" Ulquiorra said questioningly.

The cerulean eyed teen closed his eyes. "Let's just stay this way for awhile."

With Ulquiorra's arms around him like that, it was almost like the pale teen was hugging him from behind. It calmed him. He pulled at Ulquiorra's hands, making the pale teen come closer until his chest was against Grimmjow's back. Feeling Cifer so near him like this, smelling his clean scent, made him forget his worries about what Szayel had done to him earlier. Something about Cifer made him feel at peace. Like nothing in the world could hurt him. Absolutely nothing. Cifer was like his shield, protecting him from all pain. He wished that they could stay this way forever.

"Grimmjow. Is there something wrong?"

_Could what Szayel had said about Ulquiorra loving him be true?_

"No, there is nothing wrong," Grimmjow said. He turned his face to look at Ulquiorra, only to have his lips accidentally brush against Ulquiorra's.

The pale teen immediately stiffened and then pulled away, his face flushed, his breaths quick and shallow, emerald orbs wide in surprise.

_No, it couldn't be. Szayel was just crazy._

"Sorry," Grimmjow mumbled, his face heating up.

"It's okay," Ulquiorra said softly. He averted his gaze from cerulean eyes, letting his arms wrapped around Grimmjow fall to his sides.

_Because there was no fucking way that Ulquiorra Cifer could be in love with him._

When Grimmjow chose to stay silent, Ulquiorra said quietly, "I'm going to get you a drink. Wait here." And he disappeared into the kitchen once more.

_And there was especially no fucking way that Grimmjow could be attracted or be in love, as Szayel had implied, with Ulquiorra._

* * *

Even though Grimmjow insisted that he was alright, Ulquiorra would not hear any of it. He said that Grimmjow should spend the day resting and that they could study another day. And that was how they ended up watching television together. They had spent a strangely peaceful afternoon together. They did not fight or argue like they usually did. It was strange but at the same time, a very welcoming change. A very nice change.

"Ulquiorra?"

The pale teen shifted next to him, their legs brushing slightly. "Yes, Grimmjow?"

"Why are you sad?"

Ulquiorra stiffened. "What are you talking about?" he said carefully.

"I noticed that you have been sort of depressed today. Are you okay?" Grimmjow was not able to look into Ulquiorra's eyes. Raven locks obscured them from his sight. But Grimmjow was sure that if he was able to see them, he would be able to see the battle Ulquiorra was having against his pain.

"Today is my birthday," the pale teen said quietly.

Grimmjow sat up. "W-wait. Today is your birthday and you didn't say anything? If I had known, I would have bought you something."

No answer.

Grimmjow raised a teal eyebrow. It seemed unlikely that Cifer would get upset over something like this. He wracked his brains for a reason why Cifer could possibly be upset about on his birthday. "Did someone forget your birthday?"

"…"

Then, Grimmjow remembered.

"_My mother passed away giving birth to me. My dad left me years ago." Ulquiorra looked away._

So Ulquiorra must be blaming himself for his mother's death.

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine, Grimmjow." Even as he said it, Ulquiorra realised with horror that a single tear dripped down his chin and fell onto clenched fists. He was trying so hard not to cry. He could not cry. All these years he never allowed himself to cry. But all of a sudden when he was with Grimmjow, his feelings start overflowing? Just because Grimmjow asked him a simple question? Nothing like this has ever happened before. Which was why he was so horrified to find himself crying. He hid his face in his hands, ashamed.

"Excuse me, Grimmjow." Ulquiorra got up to leave but Grimmjow caught his wrist.

"Let me go," Ulquiorra said, his voice breaking slightly.

Grimmjow shook his head. "I'll never let you go." He bit his bottom lip. "Stay."

Ulquiorra was crying? Now Grimmjow was feeling a bit alarmed. He had never seen Ulquiorra cry before. "It's not your fault," the teal haired teen said quietly. Grimmjow felt useless. He did not know what else to say. What could he say to make those tears go away? "_It's not your fault?"_ Was that the best thing that he could come up with? He really was an idiot. So Grimmjow did the next best thing that he knew that he could do; he pulled the emerald eyed teen and let Ulquiorra cry silently into his shoulder.

"It's okay, Ulquiorra," Grimmjow said in what he hoped was a comforting voice. He was such a fucktard when it came to comforting. He was not very good with words. He was more of a person that showed how he felt through actions.

_I killed her. _

_She was all I ever wanted and I killed her. _

_I'm unlovable._

These were the thoughts that were running through Ulquiorra's mind as he wrapped his arms around Grimmjow's neck, as though clinging on for dear life, no longer caring about how weak he looked. How vulnerable. He had not cried for so long. Too long. Grimmjow did not need to hear Ulquiorra's thoughts to understand what he was thinking. He just knew. And he did not need to hear Ulquiorra's thoughts to know what he needed, wanted. He just knew; that Ulquiorra wanted someone to be there for him and to be held close. He pulled the smaller teen into a deep embrace. His actions spoke for him what his mouth could not; that it was not Ulquiorra's fault.

They stayed that way for a very long time, Ulquiorra's tears soaking the material of Grimmjow's shirt, pale hands fisting his shirt, Grimmjow maintaining his hold on Ulquiorra, stroking those raven locks. If it had been Nnoitra, Grimmjow would have run straight for the hills, but with Cifer, Grimmjow did not mind one bit.

Soon, Ulquiorra quieted and they both fell asleep with Ulquiorra's face in Grimmjow's shoulder and Grimmjow's arms wrapped around Ulquiorra's waist protectively.

When Grimmjow woke up a few hours later, he found that their positions had changed. Ulquiorra's face was no longer in the crook of his neck. The pale teen was sleeping peacefully, his head on Grimmjow's lap and Grimmjow's arm across Cifer's chest.

The teal haired teen studied Ulquiorra's face. He looked so peaceful. Gone was his usual frown. His black and white lips were slightly parted, his chest falling and rising in a steady rhythm. There were some tears gathered under Cifer's dark lashes.

_Even in his sleep he's crying, _Grimmjow thought. He reached out and wiped those tears away. Crying was not a look that suited Ulquiorra.

He trailed his fingers down Ulquiorra's face softly, tracing that tear track make up. _Even when you are not crying, you cry. _Ulquiorra shivered under his touch, mumbling incoherently in his sleep. Finally, he put his hand at the side of Ulquiorra's doll-like face. His hand fit the pale teen's face perfectly, as though they were made to fit one another. Cifer looked so fragile, so beautiful. He would hate to see Ulquiorra broken.

_Szayel closed his eyes, letting out a shuddering breath. "I've seen the way you look at him."_

Grimmjow immediately withdrew his hand, as though he had just received an electric shock. He stared with wide eyes at the sleeping form below him, breathing hard. What was he doing? It was not supposed to be Ulquiorra there sleeping on his lap. It was supposed to be Ichigo. Ichigo, the one that he wanted so much for God knows how long. Ichigo, the one that he asked Cifer help to get to. Ichigo, the one he used to dub the Sex God.

_What was happening to him?_

Grimmjow buried his face in his hands. Was Cifer the reason why he was hesitating to take his friendship with Ichigo up to a more romantic level? No, it couldn't be, could it? He only knew Cifer for a few weeks. There was no fucking way a person could affect him so much in that small amount of time compared to how long he had liked Ichigo which was years. Besides, Cifer was his friend. Just a friend. A friend. A friend. A FRIEND. And friends are not supposed to like LIKE each other.

All of these conflicting thoughts and feelings in him were confusing him. He did not know what was what anymore. What was true, what was fake.

_And there was especially no fucking way that Grimmjow could be attracted or be in love, as Szayel had implied, with Ulquiorra._

For example, were his thoughts at that time the truth or simply a lie?

Grimmjow did not know anymore.

His thoughts were too fucked up.

_Could someone please explain to him what the fuck was happening to him?_

The teal haired teen squeezed his eyes shut, trying to force his thoughts out of his mind.

_Grimmjow stared at Szayel. "You are crazy."_

_"Maybe. But I know that I am right. I am always right."_

No.

_You are wrong, Szayel. For once, you are fucking wrong._


	8. Chapter Eight

"I need to get some ass soon or I'm going to go crazy," Nnoitra said.

Grimmjow had to try very hard to refrain himself from rolling his eyes. How many times had he heard those words come out of Nnoitra's mouth? Too many times to count. Grimmjow cracked an eye open to look at his lanky friend. "Honestly, Nnoitra, just because you have learned how to use your penis doesn't mean you have to use it _all_ the time. If you're not careful, that thing is gonna snap in half." He closed his eye, leaning back in his chair, a smirk forming on his handsome face. He knew very well that that was not true but he just said it to bug Nnoitra.

Needless to say, this got Nnoitra riled up. "How would _you_ know? You have never used yours!" he shot back. The lanky teen shook his head. "Dude, there are lots of asses around. If you just open your eyes, you would realize what a waste it is to save it for just one person."

Grimmjow glared at him. "That was low." The teal haired teen pulled a face. "I just think that it is better to do it with the right person rather than just about anyone."

"And who would that person be?"

"Erm…" Grimmjow shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He had never actually thought about that. One person did come to mind, but his mind had been so weird lately so he was going to dismiss the thought entirely and put it down as temporary insanity. Because it did not make any freaking sense why the image of that person suddenly popped up in his mind. "I don't know…"

"Would that person be Ulquiorra Cifer?" Nnoitra grinned knowingly.

It was fascinating to see how Grimmjow's tan face suddenly turned into an interesting shade of tomato red within seconds.

"No!" Grimmjow spluttered quickly. Too quickly.

The lanky teen leaned forward, his infuriating grin widening, "I see. Grimmkitten has the hots for Ulqui-chan. How interesting…"

"NO! No, that's not it!" How Grimmjow wished that he could break Nnoitra's face. Suddenly realizing what Nnoitra had just called him, Grimmjow huffed. "I thought I told you to stop calling me that!"

"Not my fault that you are like a kitty cat, Grimmkitty," Nnoitra taunted. "Always have been. Ever since preschool. Kitty cat, kitty cat!"

Grimmjow leapt over the table to put Nnoitra into a headlock when Szayel, who had been watching their conversation with detached interest suddenly decided that things had gone far enough. He put down the book that he was reading, and said calmly, "Speaking of things of the sexual nature, how did things go with Neliel, Nnoitra?"

The two teens turned their attention on Szayel, their little fight cut short. Grimmjow, who was in the middle of grabbing a fistful of Nnoitra's black hair, gaped. He looked at Nnoitra incredulously. "Neliel Tu Oderschvank? Are you friggin' nuts, Nnoitra? You really made a move on Nel?" Grimmjow was gawking at Nnoitra. "You either have balls or you are out of your mind!"

"What, why? What the hell is wrong with that?" Nnoitra said defensively.

Grimmjow shook his head. Really. Nnoitra must have a really horrible memory when it came to remembering women that Jiruga had dated and dumped without even a second thought. And Neliel was one of those poor girls. Surely Nnoitra could not have forgotten? But then again, with the number of girls that Nnoitra had been with, it was not surprising that the lanky teen had forgotten some of them. "You really are a piece of work, aren't you?" Grimmjow sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"What are you talking about?"

"Neliel was your ex. But you dumped her because you said her breasts weren't big enough. You were supposed to go and have dinner with her at Las Noches. But when you picked her up, you dumped her outside of Las Noches and sped off in your car," Grimmjow explained. "How could you forget? I'm surprised she didn't punch you in the face for what you did."

Nnoitra mouth fell open. He blinked at Grimmjow stupidly. "You mean Neliel the Sex Goddess was Flat Nelly?"

Grimmjow found that even though Nnoitra hardly remembered any of the women he dated, the lanky teen sure had a remarkable memory when it came to remembering breasts. "The same one. So how did things go with her?"

Nnoitra open and closed his mouth, looking incredibly like a goldfish, his mind reeling. _Damn, she filled out pretty nicely. And fast too_. After hearing Grimmjow's explanation, he finally understood. No wonder Neliel had acted the way she did after they left the amusement park together. He had never felt so humiliated in his life. Usually, he would have told his friends about his sexual escapades but what had happened that day, he was going to keep it to himself.

_Nnoitra was sitting in the passenger seat of Neliel's convertible, with her driving in it, his arm around her shoulders. Her long green hair was flowing in the wind as she concentrated on the road. "Hey, Nelly," Nnoitra said, squeezing her shoulders. "How far is your house?" He was getting impatient._

"_Oh, I decided that I can't wait to get to my house. We can have some fun in the bushes," Neliel said cheerily, stopping the car at the side of the road near some thick bushes._

_The lanky teen raised his eyebrows and licked his lips, turned on. "Kinky."_

"_For you, I would do the most kinky things imaginable," she purred. "Why don't you get out and get yourself ready? I don't mind my present being unwrapped beforehand." She smiled. There was something wrong with that smile. Something was definitely off about it, like there was some hidden meaning to it, but Nnoitra was too horny to care. _

_He grinned, and without a second thought, he jumped out of the car. "I'll be ready for you, baby." However, when he reached the bushes, he heard the engine of Neliel's car rev up and she was gone. She had sped off, leaving him stranded. "NELIEL! Where are you going?"_

"_Fuck you, Jiruga!" Neliel shouted, showing him the middle finger._

"Well?" Grimmjow said, bringing Nnoitra back to Earth. "What happened with Nel?"

There was no way in hell that he was going to tell anyone what had really happened.

"We fucked all night," Nnoitra lied.

Cerulean eyes narrowed at him. "Lucky," the teal haired teen grumbled. Where was the justice in the world? His best friend certainly lived a charmed life. "Hey," he said suddenly. "Where's Ulquiorra? I haven't seen him all day. I have to study with him later after school."

"I heard that he is in the Music Room," the lanky teen said.

"Music Room?" Grimmjow frowned. "Why the hell for?"

"Because he likes music, Jaegerjaquez. Or are you too _dense_ to realize that?" Szayel said lightly.

Grimmjow did not miss the double meaning behind Szayel's words. Things had not been good between them in the first place, but now, it was very obvious how hostile they were towards each other. They would try to maintain a friendly tone with each other when Ulquiorra was around though. But as soon as Ulquiorra was not around, they would be staring daggers at one another. Even Nnoitra, who was usually too preoccupied with chasing women, noticed this and had even commented on it. But it seemed that Grimmjow and Szayel had formed a silent agreement between them that what had occurred about a week ago should stay between them.

Fact was, Grimmjow knew that Ulquiorra liked music. And played an instrument of some sort, but he had never seen Ulquiorra do anything that had to do with music. Whenever he asked, Ulquiorra would dismiss it and say that Grimmjow's studies were a priority at the moment and that he would make sure that Grimmjow did well for their upcoming exam, much to Grimmjow's disappointment. He was curious about what music Cifer was into. He did not seem like the type to be into pop (God, no) or hip hop. Maybe rock? … Nah. He could not imagine Ulquiorra head banging to a rock song.

"For your information, Grantz, I am NOT dense," Grimmjow bit back. "You are the one that's wrong."

Szayel stood up, slamming his hands onto the table top, amber eyes blazing. "I'll have you know that I'm _always_ right! My conclusions are perfect!" Szayel snapped, poking his finger at Grimmjow's chest. "Perfect!"

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Nnoitra yelled, pushing Szayel and Grimmjow away from one another. The pink and teal haired teens were this close to strangling each other. "What the FUCK is _wrong_ with you two?" he demanded.

Grimmjow growled. "Nothing. Just that he is being an ass." He turned his back on Szayel and Nnoitra, ticked off. He was not in the mood to being forced to apologize to Szayel by Nnoitra. The pink haired teen was the one who had started it, after all. First by strangling him, then by cutting up his back and by just plain giving him a hard time on everything. He was sick of it all. He wished that Aporro Grantz would just leave him alone and stop bugging him about his supposed feelings for Ulquiorra.

I mean, what the fuck did Szayel know anyhow?

Nothing, that was for sure.

"I'm going to find Ulquiorra," Grimmjow said, pretending as though nothing out of the ordinary had just occurred. "See you guys later."

* * *

Nnoitra stared after Grimmjow's retreating back, confused and annoyed. "What the hell happened between the two of you?" he demanded, turning his attention back at the pink haired teen. "You two are always at each other's throats nowadays. It's getting really annoying."

Szayel shrugged, straightening out his shirt from wrinkles. "I have no idea what you are talking about, Nnoitra," he said flatly.

The lanky narrowed his eyes at Szayel. "Fine. Have it you way. But you both better resolve this or…" he trailed off.

"Or what?" Szayel said mildly, but his voice was laced with the words _'Don't you dare'_.

But the lanky teen was not paying attention to him anymore. Apparently, something else had caught his eye. Nnoitra's mouth hung open. "Who is that?" he spluttered, pointing at a dark skinned woman with blonde hair. She was the one that was hanging out with Neliel the other day at the mall. The day that Nnoitra had "fallen in love" with a certain green haired teen who shall not be named.

Aporro Grantz rolled his eyes. "That's Harribel," he said dully, knowing exactly what Nnoitra was going to say next.

"Nice tits."

See?

"Oi, Harribel!" Nnoitra ran after the blonde teen.

Szayel was always right. He knew that. He was right about the fact that Nnoitra was going to jump from relationship to relationship, with no intention of committing, until he met the right one. And he was definitely right about what Grimmjow felt about Ulquiorra. It was just that the teal haired teen was an idiot. He had never met anyone who was so blockheaded in his whole life. Ulquiorra was oblivious too, to a certain degree when it came to emotions, but the emerald eyed teen had accepted his feelings for Grimmjow a long time ago, no matter how reluctantly. But it seemed that Grimmjow was a particularly dense individual.

He just hoped that Grimmjow would not do anything stupid.

* * *

Grimmjow stalked the hallway, fuming. Who did Aporro Grantz think he was, anyways? Always claiming that he was perfect and what not. And being such a bitch to Grimmjow for no sound reason. Didn't the pink haired teen get it? Ulquiorra did not have any feelings for Grimmjow. Grimmjow was pretty sure that he did not have any feelings for Ulquiorra either. Pretty sure. Just because Cifer made him feel funny and yet so comfortable when he was around him did not mean that he was in love with Ulquiorra, right? Just because Ulquiorra was his first kiss did not mean that he was in love with the guy, right? Just because he liked being around Ulquiorra and liked it whenever they touched (intentionally or not), did not mean that he was in love, right?

Right?

Why wasn't anyone answering him?

Whatever.

The point was, Szayel did not know shit about anything. Especially when it came to this. Who did Szayel think he was, anyway, shoving his opinion down Grimmjow's throat? Putting words into his mouth? Grimmjow was about to continue bashing Szayel in his mind when he heard one of the most beautiful sounds coming from up ahead.

He followed the source of the sound, eager to find out who and what was producing it. It sounded like someone was playing a guitar while singing. The voice sounded familiar. It was hauntingly beautiful and it sent shivers up his spine. He knew that voice. There was no mistaking that voice; he heard it every day. When he arrived at the Music Room, he opened the door cautiously and peered inside, careful not to alert the occupant of his presence. He did not want the music to stop. This was where the sounds of music were coming from.

And there, just like he thought, was Ulquiorra, sitting on a chair singing while playing a guitar. Ulquiorra had his eyes closed, seemingly lost in the music. He looked like he always did; beautiful and mesmerizing. Grimmjow did not know what song Ulquiorra was singing, but it suited the emerald eyed teen somehow. The tune was just like him; hauntingly beautiful. It entranced Grimmjow. The teal haired teen did not make a sound as he watched Cifer strum the guitar. This was the first time he had seen Ulquiorra sing and play the guitar and he was sure as hell was not going to blow this chance.

But luck was not on his side because apparently, Ulquiorra was well aware of his presence. "Grimmjow," Ulquiorra said, not even looking up from the guitar as he put it away, "I know that you are there. Now stop hiding behind the door and come in."

Damn it!

Grimmjow closed the door behind him sulkily as he stepped into the room, not happy at being caught and the fact that Ulquiorra had stopped singing and playing the guitar. He approached the emerald eyed teen who was still seated, watching Grimmjow.

"Why are you here?" Ulquiorra questioned.

"I was looking for you," Grimmjow said. "I didn't see you the whole day so I wanted to look for you."

"I see." Ulquiorra thought for a moment. "So you missed me," he teased, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

Grimmjow gaped at him, colouring. "_I did not!_" he denied.

Ulquiorra just continued smiling that small smile, irking Grimmjow even further.

"Ah, geez!" the teal haired teen said, turning crimson. "Will you stop doing that? It's making me nervous, damn it! Stop making fun of me!"

Ulquiorra looked at Grimmjow, amused. It was not often that Ulquiorra showed his playful side, but there was something about Grimmjow that brought this rarely seen side of him out. Perhaps it was because the teal haired teen got riled up very easily. It was certainly very entertaining to see Grimmjow blush and slightly embarrassed. Although Grimmjow would certainly disagree with him on this matter, he found it a strangely endearing quality that the teal haired teen had. "I'm not making fun of you," Ulquiorra said lightly, zipping his guitar into its case.

"You little…!" Grimmjow began but gave up. Ulquiorra was just pushing his buttons on purpose, a new found hobby that the emerald eyed teen had acquired. It amused the smaller teen to no end to see Grimmjow feeling awkward. Cerulean eyes followed the action where Ulquiorra was putting the guitar into its respective case. "What song were you singing just now?" he asked.

"_Our World_," Ulquiorra answered simply as he slung the case over his shoulder. "By Daisuke Namikawa. Why?"

Grimmjow hesitated. "Can you sing it again?"

Ulquiorra looked at Grimmjow quizzically. "May I know why?"

The teal haired teen suddenly found his feet very interesting. "Urm… I… I liked it," Grimmjow confessed.

A raised black eyebrow. Grimmjow was strange. The taller teen had been quite insistent on wanting to hear Ulquiorra sing lately. "Hmm." Ulquiorra paused. Maybe there was a way that he could have some fun with Grimmjow with this. "No." The hopeful look on the teal haired teen's face fell. "Maybe I will sing for you. After the exams," Ulquiorra added.

"That's not fair!" Grimmjow whined.

When Ulquiorra saw that Grimmjow was pouting slightly, his expression sulky and his arms crossed against his chest, his heart softened. It was a look that Grimmjow always wore when he was sulking but Ulquiorra was sure that Grimmjow did not realize this. Cifer bit his bottom lip, sighing. He touched the teal haired teen's arm. "I will sing for you. But not now. We have more important matters to attend to. Like your Chemistry."

"Promise?" Grimmjow said hopefully.

"Promise," Ulquiorra promised. "Now, let's go."

* * *

"Midget! Why is it that every time you come here for a sleep over, you sleep in my closet?"

Rukia was in her pyjamas and already snuggling into the covers that she had set up in Ichigo's closet. Upon hearing what Ichigo had just called her, she threw a shoe at him. It hit him right in the face with a satisfying SMACK. "I don't know," Rukia said. "It's just that it's really comfy in here."

Ichigo rubbed his face where the shoe had hit him, disgruntled. "You didn't have to do that!" he grumbled.

Rukia was sleeping over at his house tonight. This was not something unusual. Throughout the years that they had known each other, she would come and sleep over at his house once every few weeks. It was like a tradition for them. And strangely enough, she had taken a liking to sleeping in his closet. She had flat out refused to sleep on a bed in his sisters' room. His closet had somehow become a "second home" for her. Sometimes Ichigo could not figure out his petite friend. Sleeping in his closet was fine when they were kids but now that they were nearly adults, wasn't she a bit too old for this?

Weren't they a bit too old for this thing? Sleeping over and what not. But Rukia was very insistent on keeping this little tradition of theirs alive. Not that Ichigo was complaining. Having her sleep in his room was strangely comforting. He was always able to sleep easily when she was around.

"Isn't it hot sleeping in there?" Ichigo suddenly asked.

"No," Rukia lied.

"Liar." Ichigo sighed. He could not let his best friend sleep in there if she was going to be uncomfortable. It was usually cool at night but tonight it was quite warm. Any other time he would not have asked her this, but tonight was different. He patted the empty space beside him on his bed. "Just come on over and sleep here," he sighed. His bed was by the window so it was not as warm there like it was in his closet.

"What? No!" Rukia said, horrified, her face turning crimson.

"Don't be ridiculous. I don't have an extra mattress to put on the floor for you, so you better bring your butt over here," Ichigo said. "It's not like I'm going to do anything to you. I have better taste than that."

Rukia glared at him as she slipped out of the closet and approached him. "Bastard," she said, throwing a pillow in his face when she was standing directly over him. "Make some room for me then," she commanded.

Ichigo made room for her and smiled smugly when she slipped into the covers. Even though Rukia was obviously horrified with the idea of sleeping with him, he knew exactly what to say to make her forget her little bout of shyness and make her a little more agreeable. Although it did earn him a smack in the face with a pillow. But he did not mind. He was used to this kind of treatment from Rukia. Anyways, making sure that she was comfortable was the priority. He would not be able to sleep if she was not.

"Ichigo."

"Hmm?" Ichigo was staring up at the ceiling.

Rukia hesitated. Then she asked him the question that she had been wanting to ask, "When are you going to call Grimmjow over here?"

The orange haired teen nearly twisted his neck turning around to look at her. "I don't know! Give me a couple more days to think about it!" he answered her cagily.

"Oh, come on, Ichigo. Just call him. What have you got to lose?"

A pause.

"My virginity," Ichigo deadpanned.

Rukia rolled her eyes. "Fine. Besides that. Ichigo, now is the perfect opportunity. I mean, your family is away right now, and…"

"Just go to sleep," Ichigo said tiredly. His petite friend had asked him this question several times now. And to be honest, he did not know when or whether he was even going to call Grimmjow. This had been bothering him for quite some time now. It looked like Grimmjow was getting closer to Ulquiorra Cifer. No, wait. Not closer, but close. Ichigo would have been lying if he said he was not a bit jealous. He was not the type to intrude on a "budding romance" as he called it, but Rukia stated that all was fair in love and war. She pointed out that he did not know whether it was true that Grimmjow was starting to get romantically involved with Cifer or whether it was just friendship.

She was right, but, Ichigo just did not feel very comfortable with the idea.

"But…"

"Go to sleep, Rukia."

Surprisingly enough, Rukia did what she was told. Usually, she would have hit him if he ever so much as bossed her around. She loved it whenever Ichigo called her by her name instead of "midget" so she always responded positively whenever he did that. She fervently hoped that he did not notice this little secret of hers as she snuggled against Ichigo. "Good night, Ichigo," she murmured, her eyes closing and finally giving into sleep.

"Good night, Rukia." And with that, Ichigo allowed sleep to take over him.

* * *

Grimmjow groaned. Ulquiorra had been drilling him the whole day with everything to do with Chemistry. He was not sure whether he could take it anymore. Chemistry was not one of his strong points. Ulquiorra was a strict teacher but he was also patient, guiding Grimmjow through the subject and no matter how many times Grimmjow would knit his eyebrows in confusion over a lot of the problems, Ulquiorra would patiently explain everything to him. Slowly but surely, Grimmjow was getting the hang of it. And it was all thanks to Ulquiorra. He would not be surprised if he did well for their upcoming exam.

His pale tutor was looking over his work now, emerald eyes scanning the paper. He would speak up every now and then to tell Grimmjow about his mistakes and correct them. When they had first started studying together, Grimmjow's paper was full of red marks but now, the number of red marks had dwindled down significantly to one or two.

"Here, Grimmjow," Ulquiorra pointed at one problem that Grimmjow had not been able to answer. "Do you have a problem with understanding this process?"

Grimmjow nodded tiredly. "Yeah. Can't seem to wrap my mind around it."

"It's really quite simple," Ulquiorra said, taking an empty piece of paper and began to draw a diagram on it. "To plate a spoon with silver…"

The teal haired teen listened intently. Unlike Urahara, Ulquiorra always made Chemistry seem interesting. And he also made the whole thing so much easier to understand. Ulquiorra looked particular attractive today. Maybe it was because the way he was dressed today made him look adorable. Maybe it was the way he looked when he was so determined to make Grimmjow understand. Or maybe it was the way he would smile every now and then, looking serene. That smile, in his opinion, was precious. All trace of Ulquiorra's break down last week was gone. Which was good. A person like Ulquiorra should never be depressed. Smiling made him look all the more beautiful.

Grimmjow shook his head.

Those were not things that he should be thinking about Ulquiorra Cifer.

They were just so wrong. Why won't these thoughts, these feelings, just go away? He could not understand it. What was wrong with him? No matter what he did, his thoughts would always come back to a certain pale skinned teen. This was way too fucked up.

Then he noticed something about Ulquiorra that made him stare.

"I think we are done for today," Ulquiorra said, closing the Chemistry text book when he noticed that Grimmjow could not take in any more information. There was just so much information that a person could take and in his opinion, Grimmjow was doing remarkably well. The teal haired teen was more intelligent than he gave himself credit for. It was just that Jaegerjaquez needed someone to guide him.

"Thank God," Grimmjow said, stretching. "My head was about to explode."

"Let's be glad it didn't." Ulquiorra got up. "I'm going to get us something to drink. And later we can have dinner."

This was getting to be a daily ritual for them. After school, they would both go to Ulquiorra's home and study together for a few hours. By the time they were done, it would almost be dinner and Ulquiorra would fix something up for them. Ulquiorra did not mind. He was used to cooking and eating alone. So having someone for company was a very welcoming change. Sometimes, they would study well into the night, and Grimmjow would have to sleep over at his house. And no, they did sleep together. Grimmjow would usually just sleep on the couch. Ulquiorra did offer him to sleep in his room, on a mattress on the floor, of course, but Grimmjow would just splutter and quickly say no. And that was that. He was not going to force the teal haired teen to do something that he was uncomfortable with doing and in a way, he was relieved. He was not sure how he would feel about having Grimmjow in his room.

Ulquiorra poured some orange juice into two glasses. He would make dinner for them in awhile. This would have to do for now. Grimmjow usually asked whether Ulquiorra wanted help with cooking dinner, but Ulquiorra would not hear of it. He would not let his guest stress himself out. And this was probably the wisest thing to do seeing that Grimmjow had absolutely no skill for cooking. God knows that he would probably set the whole house on fire. What was he supposed to say to his grandparents if that happened? He would have to stay with them for sure.

When he was done, he brought the two glasses over and handed one to Grimmjow, who accepted it wordlessly.

Grimmjow was particularly quiet today. This was not normal Grimmjow behaviour. Usually, he would be making jokes and would sometimes argue with Ulquiorra or they would be teasing each other – a favourite past time of theirs. Today, however, Grimmjow seemed to be looking at Ulquiorra often.

"Grimmjow," Ulquiorra said, setting his own glass down on the table when he realized that Grimmjow was looking at him intently, as though entranced. There was something in those cerulean eyes. There was confusion. Disbelief. Denial. "Are you alright?"

No answer.

He was getting worried now. Ulquiorra neared Grimmjow and placed the back of his hand against the teal haired teen's forehead. Perhaps Jaegerjaquez was coming down with something. "You don't seem to be coming down with a fever," Ulquiorra concluded. "You seem well. Is there something wrong, Grimmjow?"

Grimmjow reached out then, touching Ulquiorra's face, running his fingers down from the bottom of Ulquiorra's bottom eyelid to the pale teen's jaw, making Ulquiorra catch his breath. "You are not wearing your usual green make up today," Grimmjow murmured.

Ulquiorra's hand flew to his face, suddenly realizing the absence of his green make up. He had been so hasty to get to school earlier that day that he had plain forgotten about putting the make up on. His heart was beating a mile a minute like it always did whenever they touched. "Yeah, I'm not," Ulquiorra breathed. "Is it bad?"

"I like it," Grimmjow said plainly. "You look good like this." And it was true. With the absence of the tear track make up, Ulquiorra looked a good deal less depressed and much more adorable. Not that he looked bad with the tear track make up, that look made him look beautiful and fragile. But without it, it made Ulquiorra look adorable and as though there was a glow about him. Grimmjow liked it. Mesmerized, he neared Ulquiorra.

His breath caught, Ulquiorra stared at Grimmjow and was unable to think even when those familiar pink lips pressed themselves against his own black and white ones. What was happening? Ulquiorra's mind was spinning. They were kissing. Again. But this time was different. This time it was not because Grimmjow asked for his help. This time it was because Grimmjow wanted to. This was nice. How many times had the thought of having Grimmjow kiss him again run through his mind?

Too many times to count. And now, now that Grimmjow was here kissing him with so much want, Ulquiorra could hardly believe it.

But this was not right and he had to stop it before it got out of hand. He was about to push Grimmjow away, when Grimmjow suddenly pulled him onto the teal haired teen's lap, never breaking the kiss. The taller teen held Ulquiorra close, as though he did not want to let the smaller teen go. As though he could not bear for them to be apart. He ran his hands down Ulquiorra's back, finally settling them on slim hips and kept them there.

"Grimm… Grimmjow…" Ulquiorra breathed when he managed to pull away. "What…?" He noticed that Grimmjow still had that same look on his face. It worried him. What on earth was going on?

But Grimmjow did not give him an answer. Instead, the teal haired teen just looked into his emerald eyes for a moment and crushed their lips together once more.

Ulquiorra's eyes widened with shock when he felt Grimmjow kiss him once more. Too many thoughts ran through his mind, nagging at him to stop. Wasn't Ichigo the one that Grimmjow wanted? Ulquiorra grabbed Grimmjow's collar and pushed him slightly. "Grimmjow…" Ulquiorra gasped. "Ichigo…"

The only answer he received was Grimmjow kissing him again. Ulquiorra felt like he was drowning, overwhelmed. He squirmed in Grimmjow's arms, only to have the teal haired teen pull him even closer, not wanting Ulquiorra to leave his embrace. Wasn't this what Ulquiorra wanted ever since they had first kissed? Never before did he want someone as much as he wanted Jaegerjaquez. Grimmjow made him feel happy. Complete. So what was the problem? He screwed his eyes shut, trying to resist those tempting pink lips that were pressed against his.

When he felt Grimmjow run his tongue along his bottom lip, Ulquiorra shivered, his resolve breaking, and granted Grimmjow entrance, finally allowing himself to melt into that kiss. Into that warm embrace. He had wanted this for too long. All he wanted now was to melt into Grimmjow, let them both become one.

As Grimmjow deepened the kiss, his tongue exploring Ulquiorra's wet cavern once more, Ulquiorra slowly wrapped his arms around Grimmjow's neck. It had been so long since the two of them had kissed, so long since Grimmjow's tongue had explored his wet cavern. It must have been about a month since they had last kissed, and even that felt like an eternity.

Ulquiorra felt himself being lifted up so he quickly wrapped his legs around Grimmjow's waist, his arms around the teal haired teen's neck. He felt himself being carried towards the couch and finally felt the soft cushions on the couch press against his back. As all this happened, they never once broke their fevered kiss. Grimmjow knelt above him, his knees on either side of Ulquiorra's slim hips, straddling the smaller teen, one of his hands playing with raven locks.

Grimmjow withdrew then, and looked down at Ulquiorra. The slender teen was laid out before him, looking absolutely ravishing, pale skin flushed, clothes dishevelled and raven hair slightly messy. He touched the side of Ulquiorra's face tenderly.

What Grimmjow said next made Ulquiorra look up at him in surprise; "Do you know that you look beautiful, Ulquiorra?"

"I…" Ulquiorra began. He was at a loss for words.

"Well, you are," Grimmjow said. He lowered his head and pressed his lips against Ulquiorra's neck. "You are beautiful."

When he felt Grimmjow begin to nip and suck gently at the sensitive spot between his neck and shoulder, Ulquiorra curled his fingers into soft, spiky teal hair, and moaned softly. The bruise that Grimmjow had made there had long faded and it registered in Ulquiorra's mind that there would soon be a new one to replace the old one what with the way Grimmjow was biting at him. But this time, he did not mind one bit. He was too lost in the heat of the moment to even care.

Pink lips now placing gentle kisses along Ulquiorra's neck and on the now reddened spot between the pale teen's neck and shoulder, as though apologizing for marring that perfect skin, Grimmjow slowly trailed his hand down Ulquiorra's chest and snaked it under Ulquiorra's shirt.

Ulquiorra gasped at the sensation of feeling Grimmjow's warm hand on his abdomen, slowly making its way up to his chest. This time, this time he did not stop Grimmjow. He did not pull away. Even if he wanted to, he could not; that was how far gone he was, so overwhelmed by the feelings that Grimmjow was making him experience. So overwhelmed by the fact that the man that he loved was doing these things to him. Grimmjow could do just about anything to him now and he would probably just let him. He allowed Grimmjow's hand to explore his body.

He felt Grimmjow tug at the bottom of his shirt. He allowed the teal haired teen to remove that article of clothing. Pretty soon after that, Grimmjow's shirt fell to the floor as well.

As soon as that was done, they attacked each other's lips once more. Ulquiorra pulled Grimmjow closer, until the teal haired teen was practically lying on top of him, rubbing their chests together. He wanted to feel more of Grimmjow's body, his warmth. He did not want that warmth to leave him. Or Grimmjow.

Grimmjow's lips left Ulquiorra's and was now pressing soft kisses down his jaw, along his neck, and finally onto his chest. Grimmjow's kisses felt like fire on Ulquiorra's skin. Grimmjow paused, and then enveloped Ulquiorra's nipple with his mouth, his teeth grazing the hardening nub.

"Ahhh… Haa…" Ulquiorra panted, tightening his hold on teal hair, emerald eyes glazing over with lust.

The sensation of Grimmjow's hot mouth on his body was driving him wild. He could barely think now. All there was now was just him and Grimmjow. Grimmjow was the only one that mattered right now. Nothing else mattered.

Grimmjow lifted himself up from Ulquiorra's chest and gazed into emerald eyes. "Ulquiorra…" he whispered.

That same look was on Grimmjow's handsome face but Ulquiorra was unable to give it much thought because Grimmjow suddenly leaned forward and kissed him with so much tenderness that all thought flew out of his mind. The way he kissed Ulquiorra, the way he treated him, was the way that a lover would have done, not someone who only wanted some fun with the emerald eyed teen. And this comforted Ulquiorra. He slid his fingers out of teal hair and placed his hands against Grimmjow's chest, exploring that muscled body above him.

Ulquiorra nearly groaned out loud when Grimmjow grinded his pelvis against his, making him harden. "Ahhh…" Ulquiorra moaned. "Grimmjow… Don't…"

"Make those sounds for me, Ulquiorra," came Grimmjow's voice, as he continued to grind against Ulquiorra's pelvis. "I want to hear you."

"Ngghhh…" Ulquiorra bit his bottom lip, trying to keep the sounds of pleasure from tearing from his throat.

Seeing that maybe he had to take things up another notch to get Ulquiorra to make those beautiful sounds, Grimmjow kissed the side of Ulquiorra's mouth, his hand trailing down until it reached the waistband of the pale teen's jeans.

Ulquiorra's eyes widened when he felt Grimmjow tug at the waistband of his jeans impatiently, Grimmjow's silent way of asking him for permission to let him explore Ulquiorra's body further. He grabbed Grimmjow's wrist and shook his head at the teal haired teen. "Not here," Ulquiorra murmured.

Grimmjow tilted his head, cerulean eyes gazing at him. Thinking that maybe he had taken things too far once again, Grimmjow started to pull his hand away but Ulquiorra kept it where it was firmly.

"Not here," Ulquiorra repeated. "My bed room."

The teal haired teen nodded silently in understanding. "Okay, Ulquiorra," he said. He pulled Ulquiorra up, gathering Ulquiorra's smaller form in his arms and the pale teen immediately wrapped his legs around Grimmjow's waist. He then placed a soft kiss on Ulquiorra's forehead, making the slender teen flutter his eyes close, comforted by this gesture.


	9. Chapter Nine

Ulquiorra tightened his hold on Grimmjow as the teal haired teen carried him to his bed room, knowing full well what was in store for him. Grimmjow shifted Ulquiorra's position in his arms so that he was able to twist the doorknob to Ulquiorra's room open and stepped inside. He must have felt the slender teen's nervousness because when he laid Ulquiorra gently on the pale teen's tidy bed, Ulquiorra's head laid carefully onto the pillows, he stopped, hovering above Ulquiorra's body.

"Ulquiorra…?"

The pale teen just shook his head. "It's nothing. Just do it." He grabbed a fistful of the bed sheet, bracing himself for whatever was going to come next.

It was night time now, moon light streamed into Ulquiorra's bed room through the windows, illuminating Ulquiorra's pale skin, making him look like he was glowing. Grimmjow gazed at the smaller body below him, taking in the sight of Cifer's toned and slightly muscular torso, the tattoo of the black gothic number four on the left hand side of Ulquiorra's chest, those green, green eyes. Yes, he concluded, Ulquiorra was the most beautiful person he had ever seen. Grimmjow leaned forward and brushed his lips across Ulquiorra's forehead.

"Relax," Grimmjow said gently against that pale forehead.

When Ulquiorra relaxed his grip on the bed sheets, Grimmjow went down and slowly unzipped Ulquiorra's jeans.

Once Grimmjow was able to remove Ulquiorra's jeans, the pale teen's black boxers soon joined the jeans on the floor.

* * *

When they both finally reached completion, Grimmjow fell to his side, totally spent and unable to support himself any longer. Ulquiorra was still breathing heavily but his breathing soon returned to normal. He started panicking though when he found that Grimmjow was no longer next to him, but calmed down when he saw Grimmjow return with a damp towel in his hand.

"What are you doing?" Ulquiorra asked tiredly.

Grimmjow sat in front of him and wiped the white substance off of Ulquiorra's torso carefully. "I'm cleaning you up," the cerulean eyed teen answered simply.

Although they had just indulged in a very intimate activity, this show of affection surprised Ulquiorra somewhat. But it warmed his heart all the same. He allowed a small smile to cross his face.

When Grimmjow was done cleaning Ulquiorra up, he lay down next to Ulquiorra and held the slender teen, his eyes now heavy with the need for sleep. Ulquiorra lay his head against Grimmjow's chest, his hand placed delicately on the teal haired teen's chest. He looked up into cerulean eyes. "Stay."

Grimmjow nodded tiredly and kissed Ulquiorra on the forehead in response. Ulquiorra snuggled against Grimmjow's warm form, comforted at having him so close and watched as Grimmjow's eyes slid close, giving into sleep. He looked especially endearing when he was asleep, in Ulquiorra's opinion. The pale teen leant up and brushed his lips against Grimmjow's pink ones. "I love you, Grimmjow," Ulquiorra murmured even though he knew the teal haired teen probably could not hear him at the moment.

Smiling, he intertwined his fingers with Grimmjow's. It was at this moment that he felt the most content and loved in his entire life. And he hoped that this would not change. He wanted this moment to last forever; him here being held by Grimmjow. And with that last thought, Ulquiorra fell asleep in the arms of the man that he loved.

* * *

Szayel huffed, scowling as he watched Nnoitra suck up to Harribel. The poor girl did not know what was coming. The two of them had only known each other for about a day or so and they seemed to become very close. Szayel would have said that Nnoitra might actually be serious with this girl, what with the way he was paying attention to her, but who are we kidding here? He was not going to count on it. This was Nnoitra, after all.

At first, he had thought Harribel would be cold or stuck up since he had hardly ever seen her talk to anyone other than Neliel (and that was only sometimes). Harribel mostly kept to herself. But it turned out that she was just shy – mostly due to her, ahem, clothes. Apparently, her grandmother had made them for her and she just could not let her grandmother down. Especially when the woman seemed so proud of her own work. So wherever Harribel went, she would cross her arms across her chest self consciously. For extremely obvious reasons. Should anyone choose to talk to her, she would reply in as little words as possible and walk away.

She seemed like such a nice girl.

He hoped that Nnoitra was not going to break her heart. At least not too badly.

Szayel sighed. He hoped that there would be no broken hearts.

He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and gazed at the wallpaper. It was a picture of a younger Ulquiorra and Szayel after soccer practice with mud all over their faces. Szayel did not look particularly happy in that picture, but Ulquiorra did. It was one of the few pictures he had where Cifer actually smiled, so even though Szayel looked like he got run over in that picture, he loved it.

He stuck his cell phone back into his pocket and looked absentmindedly at the wall in front of him, a faraway look in his amber eyes.

What happened to the days when Szayel was the one person Ulquiorra always turned to? Ulquiorra used to tell him everything. But now, when Szayel would question Ulquiorra about a certain teal haired teen, he would just dismiss Szayel's question entirely. And that hurt. Not that they were not close anymore. It was just that ever since Grimmjow came into the picture, he could not help but feel a little envious. From the first time he heard about Ulquiorra agreeing to help Grimmjow, he knew that that was just the beginning. The beginning of something more. The beginning of something beautiful or something horrible? Or maybe both? For once, he did not know.

"_I love you too, Szayel. You are my best friend!"_

The closer Ulquiorra got to Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, the farther Szayel was being left behind. That was how he felt.

* * *

It was midday, and Rukia was sitting across Ichigo at the living room table. She gazed at him, an irritating smile tugging at her lips, and a piece of half eaten toast in her hand. "Call him," she said.

Ichigo groaned.

Would she just drop it already? She had been bugging him about it all morning since he had woken up. For once, he would like to go through a whole day without even hearing Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez' name being mentioned in front of him. It was driving him up the wall trying to figure out what the teal haired teen was thinking. There were too many mixed signals. Or perhaps he was the one imagining the signals?

He did not know anymore. All he wanted to do right now was shut the teal haired teen out of his mind. He was not in the mood to deal with this at the moment. And Rukia certainly was not helping his situation one bit by constantly asking him that same question. It was getting on his nerves.

On the outside, Rukia was smiling smugly, as though loving the discomfort that she was causing Ichigo. But what she felt on the inside was an entirely different story. It was hard trying to act as a supportive, yet highly irritating best friend to Ichigo. Heck, acting as a mere friend was hard enough. Even though she felt like saying otherwise, the words came out of her mouth anyway;

"Call him."

Ichigo glared at her.

"No."

"Call him."

"No."

"Call him."

"No."

"Call him."

A vein was starting to throb in Ichigo's temple but that did not seem to intimidate Rukia. She had kicked his butt countless of times before. That was just the way things worked. Not the other way around. And there was no way that that little rule was going to change anytime soon. But if Ichigo ever chose to lay a finger on her, she would break his arm without a second thought.

"Damn it, Rukia!" Ichigo slammed his hands onto the table, his face twisted in anger. "Just quit it, okay? I'm not in the mood for this! So will you stop bugging me about this?" And with that, he stormed out of the living room.

Rukia stared after Ichigo in shock.

He had never spoken to her that way before. Ichigo was usually very patient and would usually tease her, and that was that. He had never raised his voice with her before. Perhaps she had gotten a little too far with her constant nagging. Perhaps this whole thing over Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez was bothering Ichigo more than he was willing to let on.

She hung her head.

A hand squeezed her shoulder lightly. "Don't feel bad, Rukia."

Rukia turned her head up and saw that Karin was looking down at her with a soft smile on her young face.

"Ichigo didn't mean to say all of those things to you," the young girl said.

The petite woman lowered her eyes shamefully. "I know. But I shouldn't have pushed him too hard. I know that he likes Grimmjow so I just thought that I would just give him a little push in the right direction. I never thought that it would turn out this way. I didn't know that he was this deeply conflicted."

Karin sat down next to Rukia then. "Rukia, have you ever thought about yourself or your own feelings?"

"No," Rukia said instantly. "My friends are more important. What I feel doesn't matter, just as long as they are happy." Even as she said it she felt like kicking herself. Because they were all too true and she hated herself for it.

"I see." Ichigo's younger sister must have thought that it would be wise to change the subject because the next thing she said was, "Why don't you go upstairs and see how Ichigo is doing?"

And that was exactly what Rukia did. A few minutes later, she found herself standing outside of Ichigo's room, her fist raised hesitantly. What was she supposed to say to Ichigo? She had comforted him in the past – mostly by knocking some sense into him – but she had a feeling that her usual method was not going to work this time. After all, she was the one that made Ichigo angry. Hitting him was not going to help matters.

Finally making up her mind, she knocked the door.

"Go away," came Ichigo's muffled reply.

"It's me."

A pause.

"The answer is still the same. Go away."

Rukia scowled. She was determined to get Ichigo out of this funk, whether he wanted to or not.

"I don't care what you say. I'm coming in," she called out.

Silence.

"Fine," came Ichigo's defeated reply. He knew all too well that she would not stop until she got her way.

Rukia opened the door to find Ichigo lying on the bed. He casually flicked his gaze over at her before turning his back on her. Rukia badly wanted to kick him in the head but kept herself in check. She approached Ichigo and sat at the edge of the bed, looking over that lean body lying before her. She bit her bottom lip and let out a breath that she had been holding in.

"I'm sorry, Ichigo."

No answer. Just Ichigo slightly shifting his position on the bed.

This was going to be a lot harder than she thought. "I didn't mean to make you angry. I just didn't realize that this whole thing affected you this much. I wanted to give you a little push in the right direction, but I guess I got a little overboard. I'm really sorry, Ichigo."

The orange haired teen sighed. He could not stay angry at Rukia for long. And he felt guilty for the way he had blown up at her all of a sudden. He turned around to look at her. "I'm sorry too, Rukia. I didn't mean to yell at you like that."

Rukia shook her head. "No, it's fine." Noticing Ichigo's cell phone lying on the table, she grabbed it and shoved it into Ichigo's hand. "Here. You know what to do."

Ichigo stared at the cell phone in his hand. "I wouldn't know what to say to him." Then he frowned. "Besides, I thought that we already went through this. I don't want to deal with this."

"I know that you don't want to deal with this." Rukia had to choose her words carefully. She did not want to start another fight. "But you _need_ to. Look, you don't need to go through with whole _Deflowering_ thing..."

Ichigo snorted.

Ignoring Ichigo's childish response, Rukia continued, "But you need to at least talk to him. I know that this is eating you up on the inside. You need to settle this once and for all." She tapped the cell phone in his hand.

Time seemed to stand still for Ichigo as he stared from Rukia to the device in his hand.

Finally, he sighed.

He knew that what Rukia had said was the truth. He had to get this over with. He needed to get a straight answer from Grimmjow.

Sitting up on the bed with Rukia sitting beside him, Ichigo began to dial Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez' number. Rukia hung her head low, a tear threatening to squeeze itself out of her eye. This was it. Time for the moment of truth.

* * *

Grimmjow woke up feeling extremely groggy. He did not want to wake up just yet. He felt extremely comfortable here. But the sunlight streaming from the window was burning at his eyelids, making it impossible for him to fall back to sleep. Grumbling slightly, Grimmjow cracked his eyes open and hissed when he was blinded by bright sunlight. When his eyes finally adjusted to the brightness, Grimmjow looked around his surroundings sleepily. What he saw jolted him out of his sleepy state immediately.

He was not in his room.

Noticing the three main colours of the room – black, white and green – and the way everything was arranged perfectly, he knew who this room belonged to. There was no mistaking it. The room even smelled like the owner; clean. He had only been in this room a few times but he knew it well enough.

It was Ulquiorra Cifer's room.

What on earth was he doing in Ulquiorra's room?

As far as he was concerned, even if he agreed to sleep over at Ulquiorra's place again last night, he was pretty sure that he did not agree to sleep in the pale teen's room. He was too shy to do that. Well, that ruled out one possibility. So what was he doing in here?

Then he realized something that made his eyes widen.

He was naked. Even though his form was covered by a blanket, he could tell because he could feel the material of the blanket against his bare skin. It was normal for him to sleep without a top on but never naked. Especially not in someone else's house. Ulquiorra would have freaked out if he saw Grimmjow now. Oh God, he hoped that Ulquiorra would not find him like this. But that was just wishful thinking. What were the odds of Ulquiorra Cifer NOT noticing a naked man in his bed room? Pretty slim. Ulquiorra would have to be blind to not notice. And that was something that Ulquiorra was not.

The next thing Grimmjow noticed was that his chest felt heavy. As though there was a weight placed upon him.

He slowly turned his eyes downwards, dreading what he would find.

He saw a raven head placed upon his chest, the owner of that head had his hand placed upon Grimmjow's shoulder. And Grimmjow saw that he was holding that person in an embrace, their fingers intertwined in an affectionate manner.

No.

It couldn't be, could it?

Cerulean eyes explored further and instantly recognized a familiar, pale doll-like face.

And then he remembered.

The events that took place the night before crashed down on him, overwhelming him.

"_Grimmjow!" Ulquiorra cried as he came, spilling all over their stomachs._

_The teal haired teen came at the same time, groaning as he filled Ulquiorra with his seed, but rode out his orgasm for a few more times before finally pulling out of the pale teen, and falling to his side, totally spent and unable to support himself any longer._

No. Grimmjow's throat constricted. He did not. He did not just have sex with a person on random. That was Nnoitra's area of expertise. And Grimmjow especially did not sleep with his best friend. This was not possible. This was-

Grimmjow groaned.

What on earth did he just _do_?

He had just had sex with Ulquiorra Cifer. The last time he remembered, he did not go around randomly fucking people. Why did he do this? How did this happen? Grimmjow wracked his brains and suddenly remembered. This all started when he noticed something about Ulquiorra that made him sit up. He remembered that he was so mesmerized by Ulquiorra's beauty that he actually leaned forward and kissed the pale teen. It was a miracle that Ulquiorra did not beat him up for that. And he remembered that Ulquiorra had actually returned the kiss. And that last night was… magical. Last night he had taken Ulquiorra as his. Last night, he had made love with Ulquiorra Cifer.

He reprimanded himself for that last thought. What he did was unforgivable. Grimmjow had screwed up big time. Why did he have to give in to his instincts without thinking? He had gotten so caught up with the heat of the moment that he did not think properly. He did everything without thinking. But the biggest question was _why_did he do this? What happened to Ichigo? Until now he had been unable to explain all of his actions and feelings towards Ulquiorra. He had to find the answers to his questions, and quick.

His whole mind was a mess that he could not even _think_.

The room suddenly felt very warm and Grimmjow felt like he was choking, drowning, overwhelmed.

He had to get out of here. He had to think. He had to figure out his feelings over the whole matter once and for all. He could no longer ignore it. Besides, he had some unfinished business to take care of.

Carefully shifting his position from under Ulquiorra so that the pale teen would not wake up, he placed a pillow under Ulquiorra's head and pulled the blanket up to Ulquiorra's chest when he noticed that it was hanging dangerously low down the pale teen's hips. Spotting his jeans and boxers lying on the floor where it was carelessly thrown the night before, he pulled them on.

Next, he grabbed a sheet of paper and scribbled a note on it when he heard Ulquiorra shift in the blankets.

Stiffening, Grimmjow slowly turned his head to look at the sleeping form on the bed.

Ulquiorra looked so peaceful. He held onto the pillow tightly. Grimmjow reached out to touch Ulquiorra's cheek then, when Ulquiorra suddenly shifted and murmured in his sleep, "Grimmjow."

Hearing his name pass those pale lips brought Grimmjow back to earth and he pulled back his hand. He was about to turn his back on Ulquiorra when he heard the pale teen murmur, "Stay." Ulquiorra seemed to be dreaming in his sleep.

Grimmjow touched that pale cheek then, his fingers brushing that porcelain skin lightly. "I'm sorry. I need to go." He bit his bottom lip. "I will be back," he promised.

He gazed at Ulquiorra a little longer before he left. He hated himself for leaving Ulquiorra there, but he knew that he had something important to do. And it had to be done.

* * *

_Grimmjow_. Ulquiorra shifted in his sleep. When he realized the absence of a warm form next to him, he was slowly pulled out of his sleep. Emerald eyes opened, only to see Grimmjow standing at the door. He was gazing at Ulquiorra's sleeping form. Apparently, he did not notice that Ulquiorra was awake. "Grimmjow…?" Ulquiorra mumbled, his mind still heavy from sleep. He instantly became very alert, however, when he noticed that Grimmjow had a look of fear in his eyes when he saw Ulquiorra shifting on the bed. Ulquiorra was about to get up to greet Grimmjow when the teal haired was gone. He had walked out of the door.

All too soon, the feel good feeling that he had experienced the night before vanished, only to be replaced with a feeling of dread. He had a bad feeling about this.

_Relax, Ulquiorra_, he told himself. _Maybe he went to get some food_.

He sat up from the bed, his backside touching the mattress, making him wince. He was pretty sore. Noticing a piece of paper lying on the table at the corner of his eye, he grabbed it. It was a note. From Grimmjow. He recognized that handwriting. He had seen it so many times that there was no mistaking it. Holding his breath, emerald eyes scanned the piece of paper. The note was pretty short.

"_Went out. I will be back soon._

_Grimmjow."_

Well, that was not very enlightening. Ulquiorra still had that bad feeling at the pit of his stomach. Or maybe he was simply being paranoid? He certainly hoped so.

He was unable to think any further on the matter, however, because at that very moment, he heard a beeping noise. Emerald eyes widened. That was Grimmjow's cell phone tone. He recognized it. Ulquiorra looked around the room and finally located it on the floor. Grimmjow must have accidentally dropped it on his way out.

Ulquiorra picked up the cell phone curiously, wondering who could be calling. When he saw the name that flashed across the screen of the cell phone, his heart tightened and he felt like he had stopped breathing altogether.

It was Ichigo. Ichigo Kurosaki.

Of course.

Ulquiorra threw the phone down on the bed, heart beating fast and hard against his ribcage.

_Grimmjow is going to meet Ichigo._

At that realization, Ulquiorra's heart broke into a million pieces. He had lost his virginity to a monster that did not even care about him.

* * *

**DIOR:** This chapter has been censored in order to abide to the site's M-rating rule. In order to read the uncut version, visit my profile and click "Fic Livejournal". You can search for the chapter from the Fic Master List.


	10. Chapter Ten

At first Ulquiorra thought that he was over reacting. Jumping to conclusions. So he decided to wait for Grimmjow to return.

But then seconds turned into minutes. Minutes turned into hours. Morning turned into noon. Noon turned into evening. Evening eventually turned into… night. The sun rose and then the sun set.

And still no Grimmjow.

And it was not like he had any means of contacting Grimmjow seeing that he had left his cell phone behind. So he did not know where the teal haired teen was or what he was doing. For all he knew, Grimmjow was fucking Ichigo at this very moment. He glared at the device hatefully. The thing had been ringing on and off since midday. He felt like smashing that thing into pieces.

Even as he was showering, his mind could not help wandering back towards a certain cerulean eyed teen. Where was he? What was he doing? Why did he have to leave so soon? Ulquiorra felt used, dirty, alone. But most of all, he felt unloved. Where was Grimmjow when he needed him? No matter how many times Ulquiorra scrubbed at his porcelain skin, he felt dirty. He could not help thinking about the events that took place the previous night.

Was everything a lie? Was he being foolish when he thought he had formed a special bond with Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez?

_I have lost my virginity to a monster that doesn't even care about me._

_I have lost my virginity to a monster that doesn't even care about me._

_I have lost my virginity to a monster that doesn't even care about me._

This was the thought that kept repeating itself in his mind, as though someone had chosen that thought and pressed the "Repeat" button.

"SHUT UP!" Ulquiorra slammed his fist against the wall, trying to push that thought away, his wet hair hanging in his face and droplets of water dripping down his body. He was shaking.

As he watched the water swirl down into the drain, he could not help but to be reminded of a few horrible memories. Memories that he had tried to suppress and to forget. The memories had always been there, threatening to come out at any moment when he was weak and right now, the memories flooded through his mind, suffocating him.

"_Now, who would like to read their essay on their hero first?" Ms Amane asked._

_A small, pale boy of about five years old looked around at his classmates to see whether any of them had volunteered. Seeing that none of them did, he raised his hand hesitantly._

"_Ulquiorra." The teacher nodded, smiling at him gently. "Go ahead, dear."_

_The boy named Ulquiorra stood up, holding a piece of paper in his hands. While most of his classmates looked very healthy and well fed, this boy looked sickly compared to them. He looked much too small and much too pale amongst all of them. Like this little boy might just break at the slightest pressure. "My hero is my father. He works all the time so I don't get to spend much time with him but I love him all the same…" he read out loud._

_When he was done reading, Ms Amane smiled. "That is a wonderful essay, Ulquiorra. Your father would have loved it."_

_At that comment, Ulquiorra's emerald eyes shone with hope. He held the paper to his chest, looking up at his teacher trustingly. "You think so, Ms Amane?"_

_She patted little Ulquiorra's head. "I know so."_

_The emerald eyed boy's face broke into a smile._

Ulquiorra held his head in his hands. No. He did not want to remember any of this. Just leave him alone. Why won't these memories just go away? He did not what to think about what happened after that. Ulquiorra balled his fists, lowering his head between his knees, willing the images that were running through his mind to disappear. Just go away. Go away.

_Ulquiorra burst into his father's home office to find his father sitting in a chair, reading a newspaper. Little Ulquiorra's heart warmed at the sight. He did not usually see his father home. The man was always either at work or just too plain busy to spend time with his only son. But Ulquiorra did not mind. He loved his father all the same._

_Ulquiorra went up to his father, who was still absorbed in reading the newspaper. He tugged at Aizen's sleeve. "Daddy, daddy! Look!" He climbed onto his father's lap and showed the brown haired man some papers that he held in his small hands. "I got a hundred on a spelling test and Ms Amane gave me an A for my essay!"_

_Aizen took a look at the papers that his son held in front of his face with disinterest and went back to reading his newspaper. "Hn."_

_Seeing the unenthusiastic reaction he had received from Aizen, Ulquiorra's smile faltered slightly. "Do you want me to read it for you, Daddy?" he asked hopefully._

_It was then that Aizen stood up, making Ulquiorra fall to the ground. He bent down, picked up the confused boy from under the arms, and put Ulquiorra outside the home office. "Do not bother me again with such trash unless it is important," Aizen said before shutting the door in Ulquiorra's face._

_Little Ulquiorra stared at the door, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. "Daddy…?"_

Ulquiorra felt like screaming. He wanted someone. Someone to hear him. Someone to hold him. Someone to tell him that everything was alright. He wanted Grimmjow. His throat felt raw from trying to hold back his tears. Even though the droplets of water that rained down on him was warm, he was practically shaking. Ulquiorra drew his knees up to his chest. Grimmjow, why did you leave? Ulquiorra just could not understand. Did he do something wrong?

_Today was Ulquiorra's birthday. He was going to be seven years old today. Unlike most children who only wanted presents more than anything else on this day, Ulquiorra only wanted one thing and one thing only. He had never received any presents before but he did not mind. The only people that gave him any presents were his grandparents, and they usually sent it by mail since they lived all the way in the countryside. _

_Ulquiorra came and hugged his father from behind. He barely reached the man's waist in height. "Dad, today is my birthday," he said, looking up at the man with huge emerald eyes._

_Aizen looked down at the little boy. "I suppose you want presents?" He looked annoyed._

_The little boy shook his head. "No, daddy."_

"_Then?"_

"_I just want to spend the day with you." He leaned in and hugged his father tighter. "I love you, daddy." Ulquiorra said it with such honesty that Aizen stiffened._

_Some emotion flit through brown eyes but Aizen shook his head and pushed Ulquiorra away. "I'm busy," he said coldly._

Ulquiorra screwed his eyes shut. Go away. Why won't these memories just LEAVE HIM ALONE? He wanted Grimmjow to hold him like he did last night. So tender and loving. Was it so wrong? Did he really imagine the show of affection that Grimmjow had shown him?

_Ulquiorra was sitting on the stairs in front of school when a blonde boy around his own age came running up towards him from behind. He nudged Ulquiorra in the arm, grinning up at him. "Hey, Ulquiorra! Wanna come home with me? My mum can drop you off at your house. It's on the way," he offered._

_The emerald eyed boy of ten years old shook his head. He had just finished playing soccer so he was pretty much covered in mud. "No, it's okay, Raito. My dad is coming to pick me up." Ulquiorra smiled. "Thanks for the offer, though."_

_Raito shrugged. "Suit yourself. See ya tomorrow, Ulquiorra!" Then Raito jumped off the last few stairs and ran towards a woman who was waiting for him by a car. "Mum!"_

_Ulquiorra watched this scene with interest until Raito stepped into the car and his mother drove them off, back home. Aizen was supposed to pick him up right about now. He had told his father that he was going to have soccer practice today after school. And so Ulquiorra waited for his father. And waited. And waited. Day light soon turned to dark and Ulquiorra Cifer was still waiting faithfully for his father on the steps, shivering. It had started to rain._

_In the end, Ulquiorra walked back home in the rain, all alone with nothing but the light from streetlights to show him the way through the darkness._

Ulquiorra did not want to think that Grimmjow had abandoned him. He did not want it to be true. It must be a lie. There was no way that Grimmjow could have abandoned him. They have shared so much. Could Grimmjow really be so heartless as to leave him in the cold? If so, Ulquiorra did not want to know the truth. Being abandoned once by his father nearly killed him. Being abandoned by Grimmjow just about finished the job.

_When Ulquiorra finally arrived home, he found his father carrying some luggage down the stairs. He stopped in his tracks, fear growing in the pit of his stomach. He felt like something horrible was about to happen. "Dad…?" _

_No answer._

"_Dad, where are you going?" Ulquiorra's voice got a little higher._

_Aizen carried the luggage out and stuffed them all into the trunk of the car. Even though his legs were sore from walking such a long distance, Ulquiorra followed him from behind. "Dad, where are you going?" Ulquiorra repeated, when Aizen got into the car and began to back out of the driveway._

"_Away. I will be back soon," was Aizen's short reply, not even looking at his son in the eye as he said it, but Ulquiorra knew it was a lie. There was something in his father's tone that he did not trust. There was something different, and it made Ulquiorra's heart race. It made him feel uneasy. Even though his father was right in front of him, Ulquiorra never felt as far away from the man as he did at this very moment. And then Aizen was gone, leaving Ulquiorra in his wake._

_Ulquiorra returned into the house. The place, if possible, felt even emptier than before._

The tears that were threatening to spring out of emerald eyes finally emerged, first a few tiny droplets and then many tears fell down his cheeks in a torrent. And Ulquiorra just let those tears fall down freely, his tears mixing with the water from the shower. He felt like he was dying. Decaying. The strong front that he had always let people see was crumbling. Finally, after all these years of bottling everything up. Ulquiorra choked.

He got up, turned the shower off and stepped out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist.

No matter how much he did not want to think about it, no matter how much he did not want it to be true, he had to face the facts. The truth. The truth that maybe, maybe Grimmjow had never cared for him at all. The truth that maybe Ulquiorra had been deluding himself all this time. There was no such thing as love.

Not in his life, anyways.

_It had been a week since his father had left home and there was still no sign of him. Ulquiorra kept this fact a secret from everyone. He did not want anyone to know about his situation, even though he had never felt so alone. He was used to being alone in the house and cooking for himself. It was a skill that he had acquired since his father was not always at home to begin with, so Ulquiorra always had to cook for himself and clean the house._

_It was after school now, and Ulquiorra was walking home. He stopped when a public phone caught his eye. He stared at the public phone, hesitating._

_He had been trying to call his father all week using the house phone at home but the man had never picked up any one of his calls. Not once. Maybe his father would answer if Ulquiorra called him from a number that Aizen did not know?_

_Shifting the books under his arm gingerly, Ulquiorra walked towards the public phone and had to stand on tip toe to grab the phone. Pressing the phone to his ear, Ulquiorra inserted some coins in, dialed the number and waited._

_His father answered the call at the third beep. "Hello," came Aizen's all too familiar voice. "May I know who is speaking?"_

"_Daddy?" Ulquiorra said, uncertain._

_Hearing his son's voice at the end of the line, Aizen immediately ended the call._

_Ulquiorra stared at the phone, tears gathering around the edges of his emerald orbs, his bottom lip quivering. He stood up on tip toe again and put the phone back to its respective place. With that done, Ulquiorra shoved his hands into his pockets, his head hung low. He never did try calling his father again after that. _

He did not need the memory to continue to remember what had happened after that. His money and food supply had run low and finally, he called his grandparents for help. And after that, all that happened was a blur with his grandparents getting angry over what Aizen had done, Ulquiorra refusing to come live with them, them arranging a nanny to take care of Ulquiorra...

When Ulquiorra was done drying himself, he looked into the closet for something to wear and pulled a few items on. He needed to be alone. He needed to be some place far away. He could not think here. Especially here. His house held too many memories of him and Grimmjow spending time together.

He felt like history was repeating itself.

"_It's fine, Grimmjow." Even as he said it, Ulquiorra realised with horror that a single tear dripped down his chin and fell onto clenched fists. He was trying so hard not to cry. He could not cry. All these years he never allowed himself to cry. But all of a sudden when he was with Grimmjow, his feelings start overflowing? Just because Grimmjow asked him a simple question? Nothing like this has ever happened before. Which was why he was so horrified to find himself crying. He hid his face in his hands, ashamed._

_"Excuse me, Grimmjow." Ulquiorra got up to leave but Grimmjow caught his wrist._

_"Let me go," Ulquiorra said, his voice breaking slightly._

_Grimmjow shook his head. "I'll never let you go." He bit his bottom lip. "Stay."_

Ulquiorra bit his bottom lip as he leaned his head against the wall. _You said that you will never let me go. You lied._

It was time to face the truth. Perhaps Grimmjow had never loved him in the first place. No. Grimmjow NEVER loved him in the first place. And never will. At that realization, a tear slid down Ulquiorra's pale cheek. He quickly reached up and slowly wiped it away with a finger. He then held his finger in front of him, looking at the tear hanging on to his fingertip. It quivered, and then fell down to the floor as though in slow motion, sparkling as it did so. Finally, it hit the floor.

And then he knew what he needed to do.

* * *

"Isn't she great?" Nnoitra grinned as he leaned back in his chair, his hands behind his head. He was referring to Harribel.

Szayel rolled his eyes. "Yes, she is." Szayel was not sure whether Nnoitra was referring to Harribel herself as a person or just her physical appearance (i.e. her tits), but either way, he would have given the same answer

Nnoitra leaned forward then. "But you haven't seen Grimmjow's mum yet. Woo. Now that's another woman with a nice pair of knockers." He made gestures at his chest to emphasize his point.

Szayel turned as pink as his hair then. Amber eyes widened. "Wha-what?" he spluttered. "That is so _wrong_, Jiruga! That's someone's _mother_, for God's sake!"

The lanky teen's grin, if possible, became even wider. "You'll change your mind once you lay your eyes on her. She's a beauty."

"… You are sick, Nnoitra. You know that?"

"If this is sick, I would like to be sick all the time."

"You are impossible." Szayel pinched the bridge of his nose. "Listen, Nnoitra, I know that you like playing the field and everything, but can you at least _try_ not to break Harribel's heart too badly?"

Nnoitra was about to come up with a retort then when Harribel came in with a tray of cupcakes in her hands. Szayel noticed that she had also taken the opportunity to change her clothes into something more conservative when she excused herself to check whether the cupcakes were done. Apparently, Nnoitra noticed this change as well because he looked crestfallen.

In the pink haired teen's opinion, however, he thought that Harribel looked far more attractive this way now that she was not wearing that ridiculous jacket that covered half her face. Now that he was able to see her face, he concluded that she was very beautiful. And she looked very happy at the moment. It was a shame because Szayel knew that soon, she was not going to be wearing a smile on her face, knowing what Nnoitra was going to do to her.

Harribel set the cupcakes down on the table. "I hope these are fine. I baked them myself." She gave one to Nnoitra and another to Szayel.

Szayel smiled at her. "Don't worry. I'm sure that it is delicious."

A blush spread across the dark skinned woman's cheeks at that statement. "Thank you."

"Oi, Szayel," Nnoitra said. He looked irritated.

"What, Nnoitra?" Szayel frowned at him.

"Why don't you call Ulquiorra and check up on him?" In other words, "Don't go around flirting with my woman".

_Ulquiorra…?_

"Ulquiorra?" Szayel repeated, completely ignoring the underlying message that came with Jiruga's suggestion.

"Yeah. Ulquiorra Cifer. You know who that is, don't you?"

Why was it that Szayel suddenly had a bad feeling when he heard that name? Like something bad was going to happen? He immediately tried to call Ulquiorra.

…

No answer.

* * *

Ichigo was getting frustrated. He had been trying to reach Grimmjow's cell phone but to no avail. He looked up at the clock. It was either Grimmjow was busy or he was purposely avoiding Ichigo's calls. He hoped that it was the former. But even then, Grimmjow should have been able to answer at least _one_ of his calls since he had been trying to contact the teal haired teen since midday. It was night time now. "This is stupid," Ichigo grumbled, throwing his cell phone onto the bed. "Grimmjow isn't answering any of my calls."

Ichigo felt like whacking Grimmjow upside the head. This was pretty important. He had something really important to discuss with the teal haired teen and he could not reach him. Ichigo found this a bit odd since Grimmjow usually answered his calls or messages immediately. And Grimmjow not answering his calls made him feel like some sort of stalker. Unwanted.

Rukia watched as Ichigo slumped into his chair in defeat. He sighed. "I guess this might be his way of saying that he is not interested."

"Don't be ridiculous," Rukia said instantly. She did not like seeing Ichigo so down. Even if it was over someone else. "He is probably just busy."

"Yeah. Maybe he is hanging out with Ulquiorra again," Ichigo said. "Those two seem awfully close."

Rukia threw a pillow at him. "Snap out of it. This isn't you," she snapped. "Give me the phone. Let me try."

"Fine. Go ahead." Ichigo grabbed his cell phone and tossed it towards Rukia. He knew that his petite friend was usually very lucky and got whatever she wanted, but he thought that this was useless. There was no way Grimmjow was answering. "He won't answer, but knock yourself out if it will satisfy you."

Rukia caught the phone. "Thank you." She dialled in Grimmjow's cell phone number and then pressed the cell phone to her ear. She held a hand up in front of Ichigo to tell him to keep quiet. "Now, watch an expert at work."

Ichigo groaned. "I'm telling you, he's not going to answer-"

"Shh!" Rukia glared at him. "It's ringing!"

Rukia waited with baited breath for Grimmjow to answer even though a part of her did not want him to. Alas, her prayers were not answered when the call was finally answered at the fifth beep. However, it was not Grimmjow who answered.

"Hello?"

Rukia stared at the phone, stunned. That was not Grimmjow's voice. It was another male's voice but it sounded strangely familiar. Then, regaining her composure, she pressed the phone to her ear once more. Perhaps it was just Grimmjow's father. She heard the man liked snooping around Grimmjow's business. "Hello. May I speak to Grimmjow?" she asked calmly.

Ichigo's eyes nearly bugged out. "He answered? Gimme that!" He made to grab the phone but his face was met with Rukia's foot, sending him flying into the wall. "Ow! You didn't have to do that!" He glowered at Rukia from his position on the floor.

The petite woman sent a glare in his direction to tell him to shut up and sit tight and that she knew what she was doing and that she would give the phone to him when she was good and ready.

"I'm sorry, but Grimmjow is not here," the person on the other line answered.

"Oh," Rukia said. Then, pretending to sound genuinely confused, she asked, "May I know who is this then? There's a friend of mine that really needs to speak to Grimmjow."

There was a pause from the person on the other line. Finally, after a few long drawn seconds of silence, the person said, "This is Ulquiorra Cifer."

"Ulquiorra?" Rukia said incredulously. "What are you doing there, where's Grimmjow?"

Unable to sit still anymore, Ichigo grabbed his cell phone out of Rukia's hands and pressed it to his ear. "Ulquiorra? What are you doing there, where's Grimmjow?" Ichigo said incredulously, practically repeating Rukia's question. His heart tightened. What was going on? Why was Ulquiorra answering the call instead of Grimmjow?

"I don't know," Ulquiorra replied.

"What do you mean you don't know? You have his phone, don't you? So he should be with you right now," Ichigo said immediately.

"… I don't know, Kurosaki. He left his phone behind at my house this morning when he left. He must have forgotten it."

"Oh," Ichigo said, sitting back down in his chair. "Wait. What were the two of you doing?" he asked suspiciously.

A pause.

"Nothing," Ulquiorra lied. "I was just tutoring him."

The orange haired teen closed his eyes. Of course. He had completely forgotten that Ulquiorra and Grimmjow were now study buddies. Well, not exactly study buddies since Ulquiorra was the one teaching Grimmjow and Grimmjow was the one doing the studying. "Well," he said hesitantly, "Do you know where he might be? I have something important to discuss with him."

Another pause.

"I would say that he should be on his way to your house right now, Ichigo." Ulquiorra's voice was hard. He sounded angry and there was also a hint of bitterness in his voice. And sadness too?

But Ichigo, being the completely dense person he was, did not notice this. "Really? Thank you, Ulquiorra. And sorry to bother you." Ichigo was grinning now. At least he would be able to talk to Grimmjow soon. The sooner this was over, the better.

"You're welcome, Kurosaki. It is no problem. I'm happy to help."

And with that, Ulquiorra ended their call.

Ichigo flipped his cell phone close. "Well." He looked up at Rukia. "Looks like Grimmjow is on his way here."

"I see. You should get ready, then, Ichigo. You don't want to look like a mess when he comes," Rukia said, smiling. She was smiling but the smile did not quite reach her eyes. "I've got to go downstairs. I need something to drink." She left Ichigo's bedroom and went downstairs, leaving Ichigo to get ready. "I hope you get what you want, Ichigo," she said softly.

* * *

Ulquiorra put the phone down. After hearing Grimmjow's cell phone ring numerous times, he could not stand it anymore and chose to answer it. He hated lying to Kurosaki, and felt guilty as hell for it, but he felt that it was not his place to say anything about what had transpired between him and Grimmjow to Kurosaki. That was for Grimmjow to tell, if he should choose to, not him. And Kurosaki sounded genuinely worried that guilt nearly did him in.

However, Ulquiorra found it highly unusual that Ichigo was just as clueless as he was on Grimmjow's whereabouts. He thought that Grimmjow should have been at Ichigo's house by now since he was so obviously in love with Kurosaki. It was like the teal haired teen had just disappeared without a trace.

Ulquiorra shook his head.

Enough.

He should stop thinking about Grimmjow. If Jaegerjaquez was not at Kurosaki's house right now, then the teal haired teen was just on his way there. It was that simple. He was not going to come back to Ulquiorra, like he had promised in that short note he had written to Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra should just stop this wishful thinking. He could not let anything distract him from his current mission.

Ulquiorra pulled some clothes and some boxers out of the closet and packed them neatly into a suitcase. He had already packed toiletries and some other essentials. He was nearly done.

Then he heard his house phone ring.

The emerald eyed teen stiffened, and then resumed his work. He could not let anything distract him. And so he let his house phone ring, completely ignoring it. After several minutes of arranging his clothes in the suitcase, he heard the doorbell ring.

This time, Ulquiorra stood up, hope rising in his heart. Was it Grimmjow? He must have returned, just like he had promised Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra was about to walk downstairs to answer the door when he stopped. He narrowed his eyes.

No.

He turned around and returned to packing up his things in his suitcase. Nothing was going to distract him. He was not going to change his mind. Nothing could stop him. He had to be strong. It was probably not Grimmjow anyways. When he was done, Ulquiorra zipped up the suitcase and stepped back. Now, now he had to make things official if he was going to go away.

Ulquiorra picked up his own cell phone and dialled the number of the person he wanted to talk to. He fervently hoped that the man did not mind receiving calls at night.

"Hello?" came the man's all too familiar sing song voice.

The emerald eyed teen let out a shuddering breath. Well, it was now or never. "Mr. Urahara?" he said tentatively. He completely ignored whoever it was ringing his door bell; he had already made up his mind. As he spoke to his blonde teacher over the phone, a few tears rolled down his pale cheeks.


	11. Chapter Eleven

Grimmjow did not know where he was going or what it was exactly he was supposed to do, but he knew that he had to do it and that it was important; he could feel it in his bones. Before he left, he felt the need to gaze at Ulquiorra's sleeping form one last time before leaving so he stood by the door. Ulquiorra looked positively angelic when he was asleep.

_Ulquiorra…_

That name scared him and yet at the same time, it made him feel like nothing in the world could go wrong. It made him feel light and at the same time, fulfilled.

There were so many questions that needed to be answered.

So many loose ends that needed to be tied up.

So many conflicts that needed to be resolved.

Somehow or another, Grimmjow was going to solve them. And he had to do them as soon as possible. Today. He could not put this off any longer.

"Grimmjow…?" Ulquiorra mumbled, his voice laced with sleep.

The teal haired teen stiffened, his eyes widening. Ulquiorra was waking up.

* * *

Grimmjow leaned back against the park bench and closed his cerulean eyes. That happened hours ago. He did not know what time it was. He knew that he had promised Ulquiorra that he would return soon, but he felt that after what he had done, he did not deserve to. He was so ashamed with what he had done. So ashamed. He just could not bring himself to look into those innocent emerald eyes and be reminded of what he had done. So lost in his thoughts, Grimmjow lost track of time.

Grimmjow held his head in his hands.

He had never felt so confused in his whole life.

What was happening? Why did he give in to his instincts so easily last night? He had… He had practically _forced_ himself on Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra had resisted him. He did. Now that he was wide awake, he remembered everything that had occurred the night before.

_He was about to push Grimmjow away, when Grimmjow suddenly pulled him onto the teal haired teen's lap, never breaking the kiss. The taller teen held Ulquiorra close, as though he did not want to let the smaller teen go. As though he could not bear for them to be apart. He ran his hands down Ulquiorra's back, finally settling them on slim hips and kept them there._

"_Grimm… Grimmjow…" Ulquiorra breathed when he managed to pull away. "What…?" He noticed that Grimmjow still had that same look on his face. It worried him. What on earth was going on?_

_But Grimmjow did not give him an answer. Instead, the teal haired teen just looked into his emerald eyes for a moment and crushed their lips together once more._

_Ulquiorra's eyes widened with shock when he felt Grimmjow kiss him once more. Too many thoughts ran through his mind, nagging at him to stop. Wasn't Ichigo the one that Grimmjow wanted? Ulquiorra grabbed Grimmjow's collar and pushed him slightly. "Grimmjow…" Ulquiorra gasped. "Ichigo…"_

_The only answer he received was Grimmjow kissing him again. Ulquiorra felt like he was drowning, overwhelmed. He squirmed in Grimmjow's arms, only to have the teal haired teen pull him even closer, not wanting Ulquiorra to leave his embrace._

Friends do not do that. They just don't. But why did he…? Grimmjow screwed his eyes shut. He was shaking. Ulquiorra had definitely resisted him, but he, Grimmjow, did not listen. He had simply carried on with what he was doing. And he had taken what was rightfully Ulquiorra's. How could he have done that to Ulquiorra? Ulquiorra was one of the most amazing people he had ever met in his entire life and who definitely held a special place in his heart as a… he did not know what to call his relationship with Ulquiorra as, he did not know what to define it as, and this was what he had done to repay him? Grimmjow lowered his head to his knees.

He was disgusting.

He did not deserve any of the kindness, the friendship, everything that Ulquiorra had given him. And the emerald eyed teen had definitely given him everything. This fact weighed heavily on his shoulders.

Grimmjow slowly lifted his head up from his hands and looked at the empty spot on the bench beside him. He and Ulquiorra used to come here all the time.

_Grimmjow glanced at Ulquiorra. "Is that all you are going to eat?"_

_Ulquiorra held a sandwich in his hands and was about to take a bite from it. From what Grimmjow had observed, Cifer had not eaten since morning and had definitely not eaten during recess. And Cifer was definitely hungry if how lethargic the emerald eyed teen was any indication. Grimmjow realized that Ulquiorra must be low on cash at the moment. _

"_Yes," Ulquiorra said matter of factly. _

_The teal haired teen furrowed his eyebrows. "Is that even enough?" He was worried._

"_Of course it is," the slender teen responded dismissively._

_Grimmjow glared at him. "Don't lie."_

_Ulquiorra was about to come up with a cutting remark like he always did when Grimmjow suddenly stood up and went over to a stall selling hot dogs. _

_Startled, Ulquiorra called out, "Where are you going?"_

_Grimmjow did not answer. He completely ignored the emerald eyed teen's question, which annoyed Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra sat back on the bench and crossed his arms across his chest and pouted. Moments later, Grimmjow returned with two hot dogs. He shoved one into Ulquiorra's hands._

_Ulquiorra looked at the hot dog in his hands and then at Grimmjow. "What…?" He looked genuinely confused._

_Grimmjow raised an eyebrow. "It's for you to eat. There's no way that sandwich is gonna fill you up."_

"_Thank you but there is no way that I can accept this. You don't need to do this…"_

_The teal haired teen sat back down on to the bench and took a bite out of his hot dog. "Shut up and eat, Ulquiorra," he said plainly, completely ignoring Ulquiorra's protest_

_Ulquiorra looked at Grimmjow then. He smiled. "Thank you."_

_Grimmjow turned red then, his blush reaching all the way up to his ears. "Tch. Whatever," he said gruffly, trying to cover his embarrassment._

Grimmjow stood up. Even though he was in an open area, he felt like he was suffocating. But wherever he went, memories of him and Ulquiorra spending time together followed him. Everywhere he went reminded him of Ulquiorra Cifer. He could not think properly this way. He needed to take a walk to clear his mind. And so he did. He let his legs carry him to whatever destination they wanted to bring him. Grimmjow did not particularly care. His mind was too messed up to care or to even take note of where he was going.

And so he walked.

And walked.

And walked.

This whole mess started when he first got involved with Ulquiorra. Before this, he had been crushing on Ichigo Kurosaki and had no idea about Ulquiorra Cifer's existence even though they were classmates. After he had gotten to know Ulquiorra, his life changed. His thoughts. And his feelings. Especially his feelings. He just could not understand it. What were these feelings that Ulquiorra stirred within him whenever he was near Ulquiorra? What? How could one person that he had only known for such a short period of time affect him so much?

Grimmjow stopped walking.

When he finally looked up, Grimmjow found himself staring through the window into his classroom. This was where he had first met Ulquiorra Cifer. The classroom looked exactly the way it did on that fateful day he had met Ulquiorra. Grimmjow remembered it clearly.

_Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow. "Help?" he said suspiciously. "What for? I do not have the time for this. Look, I am going to be late for class if you do not move. So would you please-" He attempted to walk past the teal haired man._

_Only to have Grimmjow reach out and grip his shoulder. Ulquiorra looked back and shot him a look that would have made anyone else falter and back away but Grimmjow stood his ground._

"_My name is Grimmjow."_

"_And I am late for class," Ulquiorra retorted, irritated. "I know who you are. So can you please-"_

That little memory brought a sad smile to his lips.

_His scowl deepening, Ulquiorra pushed Grimmjow's hand off of his shoulder. "I do not deal in matters like that anymore. So just leave me alone, trash," he said coldly._

_Grimmjow stumbled a few steps backward, surprised at the menacing tone that Cifer's voice had taken. No one had ever called Grimmjow 'trash' or even dared to for fear of him punching their faces in. Although the pale man was shorter than him, the tone in his voice sent chills up and down Grimmjow's spine. Blinking slowly, he watched as Ulquiorra smoothed his shirt from wrinkles and then turn on his heel to leave._

_That was when Grimmjow's senses returned to him._

_He reached out, grabbing the smaller man and turned him around, gripping his shoulders with both of his hands. Ulquiorra's emerald orbs widened and a brief look of fear appeared in his eyes. He had not expected Jaegerjaquez to do that. Grimmjow leaned down till his face was inches away from Ulquiorra's, totally invading the pale man's personal space, making him squirm slightly at the close proximity. He was not used to being so close to anyone. At all. But Grimmjow ignored Ulquiorra's obvious discomfort and growled, "You, are not going anywhere till you help me."_

Their first meeting may not have been favourable, or even pleasant, but it certainly was memorable. He would definitely remember it always.

Grimmjow straightened up and shoved his hands into his pockets. He turned his back on the window. It was time for him to continue walking. He decided he had lingered long enough at that spot.

Allowing his legs to carry him to whatever destination they wanted him to go to, Grimmjow walked around aimlessly, random memories of him and Ulquiorra spending time together flowing into his mind with each familiar place he walked past. This went on until he came upon a spot under a tree outside the school. Grimmjow stopped and leaned against the tree trunk, taking a deep breath to calm down his nerves.

_It was a sunny day and Grimmjow was sitting under the tree, finding comfort in the shade it provided. His teal eyebrows were knitted together in concentration as he read a book that he held in his hands. It was one of Shakespeare's works and it was doing him in trying to understand the damned book. But he needed to understand it if he wanted to pass his Literature class._

"_I never took you for a romantic, Grimmjow." Ulquiorra had appeared by his shoulder, his voice teasing, an amused smile on his face._

"_Fuck!" Grimmjow yelped in surprise. When he saw that it was just Ulquiorra, he glared at the emerald eyed teen. "It's for my Literature class. I need to pass that class."_

"_I never took you as the studious type either."And with that, Ulquiorra snatched the book out of Grimmjow's hands and flipped the pages to some random poem. "Now let's see what you have been reading."_

"_Hey! Give that back!" Grimmjow growled, scrambling up to grab the book but Ulquiorra merely held it at arm's length while placing his other hand on Grimmjow's chest, completely stopping Grimmjow's movement._

"_Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" Ulquiorra read out loud. "Thou art more lovely and temperate, Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May…" Ulquiorra smirked at Grimmjow. "My, my. You really are into this, aren't you?"_

_Grimmjow gritted his teeth. "Shut up. I need to understand it to pass the class." The teal haired teen attempted to make another grab for the book but failed. _

_That amused smile on pale lips widened. "And how can you not understand what this poem is about, Grimmjow?"_

"_Shut up!" Grimmjow leapt and tackled Ulquiorra to the ground where he wrestled Ulquiorra for the book. Passersby looked at them oddly. Some of them looked at the two teen's antics with a small smile on their faces._

"_Bastard! Give me back the book!"_

_A grab._

"_No. Not until you understand what the poem means."_

_Ulquiorra twisted._

"_Damn it! How am I supposed to understand it if you don't give it back to let me read it? Give it back!"_

_Grab. Pinch. Roll. Twist._

"_No."_

_A flip._

_Grimmjow had Ulquiorra under him now and he had pinned the pale teen's hands down to the sides to prevent Ulquiorra from escaping. Grimmjow was practically straddling Ulquiorra. "Give. It. Back," Grimmjow breathed, furious._

_Ulquiorra just looked at him. "Do you understand it?"_

"_What?"_

"_Do you understand it?" Ulquiorra repeated._

_The teal haired teen looked down at Ulquiorra, confused. Their faces were so close that their breaths were mingling with one another. The emerald eyed teen's eyes were bright, pale skin seeming to have a slight glow, raven hair silky smooth to the touch. Ulquiorra may have spoken in a very calm and composed manner, but his breaths came out in short and quick puffs from their little wrestling match. That doll-like face that Grimmjow knew so well was slightly flushed._

_It was then that Grimmjow finally understood._

"_Yes," Grimmjow said softly._

_Emerald eyes widened. "Excuse me?"_

"_Yes, I understand," Grimmjow said softly. Slim fingers loosened their grip on the book, allowing Grimmjow to take it back and pocket it. Subconsciously, Grimmjow did what he felt was the most natural thing in the world to do; he reached up and stroked Ulquiorra Cifer's pale cheek. Although shocked at first by the contact made by the teal haired teen, Ulquiorra leaned into the touch, closing his eyes as he did so. "It's about a man describing the beauty of his lover, isn't it?"_

The meaning of that poem immediately came to him the moment he looked at Ulquiorra properly. No matter how many times he had read it before that incident, he could not understand it. But when Ulquiorra came in, he understood.

Was it just a coincidence or did it have an underlying meaning to it?

Was there something that Grimmjow was missing?

Grimmjow groaned. He felt so lost.

Deciding that he had pondered that question long enough and still did not find the answer, Grimmjow stood up and let his legs lead him once more. In search for the answer to his questions. So far, all of his attempts had been fruitless and if anything, it made him feel even more confused than ever.

He was no closer to the answer than he was before.

Walking out of the school area, Grimmjow found himself to be walking to another park that him and Ulquiorra had once spent time together at. Hands in his pockets, cerulean eyes surveyed his surroundings. There were quite a few families around having a picnic and some mothers bringing their children to the playground. He and Ulquiorra had come here once at night after one of their numerous study sessions because Ulquiorra had insisted that they looked up at the night sky. Grimmjow did not want to go at first, stating that it was something that only chicks did, but Ulquiorra had pulled on his rare puppy dog look that Grimmjow just could not say no.

"_Ah, finally! I thought that this torture would never be over!" The teal haired teen stretched, yawning widely as he did so. "Damn, I feel as tired as fuck."_

_However, Ulquiorra was not listening. Instead, he had placed his chin on his hand as he gazed out of the window, completely lost in thought. He blinked once, twice and then turned to look at Grimmjow. "Let's go to the park," Ulquiorra said suddenly._

"_Are you nuts?" Grimmjow said bluntly. "It's late! There will be nothing to do there anyways, I-"_

_Emerald eyes widened, seeming to take on a slightly sparkly effect. A pale bottom lip stuck out. A look that only Grimmjow had seen so far._

"_Ah, fuck," Grimmjow groaned._

_And that was how Grimmjow found himself at the park. He and Ulquiorra were both lying down on the ground, the soft grass pressing against their backs, acting as a cushion. Ulquiorra was looking up at the star strewn sky. The pale teen had had a particularly stressful day in school earlier that day so lying there under the stars seemed to soothe him. There was a gentle smile on his face._

_Grimmjow, on the other hand, was trying not to be bored out of his skull. But he did not say a thing since it meant so much to Ulquiorra._

"_Don't you think it looks amazing?"came Ulquiorra's voice._

"_Yeah," Grimmjow said absentmindedly._

_Ulquiorra turned so that he was facing Grimmjow. He frowned. "You aren't even looking."_

"_Yeah, I am," Grimmjow defended._

"_No. You aren't."_

"_I am!"_

_Ulquiorra rolled his eyes and turned back to his previous position on the ground so that his face was facing the stars. "I still say it looks amazing."_

_Grimmjow, still not looking up at the stars, turned to look at Ulquiorra. "Yeah, I agree," he said without thinking, making Ulquiorra blush but the pale teen did not make any comment on it. He merely continued to stare up resolutely at the stars but how that comment affected him was shown clearly on his doll-like face._

Where did that come from?

Was it simply an offhand remark or did Grimmjow really mean it at the time?

He still did not know. He was just as clueless as before.

Grimmjow stood at that spot for a few minutes longer, letting all of the memories flow into his mind as he tried to find meaning behind all of them. When he did not, he decided that it was time to let his legs carry him someplace else.

* * *

"Do you think Ulquiorra was telling the truth or was he just screwing with me?" Ichigo said, annoyed. It was night time now. He really wanted this whole thing to cleared up as soon as possible except there was only one thing wrong:

Grimmjow was nowhere to be found.

Ichigo did not know who to be pissed off at; Ulquiorra or Grimmjow.

Rukia was sitting on the couch, a magazine in her hands. However, she was not reading it. Her mind was totally elsewhere. "Ichigo," she said suddenly.

"What?" Warm brown eyes turned to look at her.

How was she supposed to put this? Rukia bit her bottom lip. "Don't you find it odd that Ulquiorra sounded a little upset when you mentioned Grimmjow's name to him just now?"

"He was upset?" Ichigo was surprised.

Rukia shook her head. Ichigo really was oblivious sometimes. Especially when it came to things that really mattered. "Never mind, Ichigo." She rolled her eyes.

Ichigo merely shrugged his shoulders and left it at that. He had a lot on his mind.

Rukia sat back against the couch as she watched Ichigo fidget. Was Ichigo really that oblivious? She sighed. It was quite obvious to her that Ulquiorra Cifer was in love with Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. She knew it by just seeing the way the emerald eyed teen would sometimes look at Grimmjow, by how much Ulquiorra cared and spent a very large amount of time with Grimmjow. The mention of the teal haired teen's name would make Ulquiorra smile and sometimes even blush. Then there was also the fact that Ulquiorra seemed more like… himself when he was with Grimmjow.

Or perhaps Rukia could understand Ulquiorra because they were both going through the same thing.

They were both in love with oblivious idiots. And they would both rather see the ones that they love happy even though it hurts them

Ichigo stood up then, shocking Rukia out of her thoughts. "That's it. I'm turning in. I will just corner him in school or something and just force the answer out of him. I want this to be resolved."

"Ichigo!"

"What?"

"Just wait."

"Why? It's really late and I don't really think that Grimmjow is going to come." Ichigo crossed his arms across his chest.

"Just wait a little while longer."

"Rukia," Ichigo said tiredly. "I don't think-"

A knock. Someone was knocking on the door.

Warm brown and purple eyes widened. Was it him? Rukia pushed Ichigo to the door and he just let her. Now that the moment had come, Ichigo was nervous. What was the answer going to be? He straightened himself out before resting his hand on the doorknob. He looked over his shoulder and saw Rukia nod at him, encouraging him to go on before she went back into the living room to give him some privacy. Taking a deep breath to still his nerves, Ichigo twisted the doorknob open.

And sure enough, there stood a very confused and lost looking Grimmjow outside.

* * *

Grimmjow looked up. Where had his feet brought him to this time? He blinked several times and realized that a person with striking orange hair came into his vision. That person was looking at him with concern. Who was that person? Why did he look so familiar? He wracked his brains, trying to remember that person's name. His mind was bogged down with so many questions that he could not think straight.

"Grimmjow?"

That person held Grimmjow's hands, intertwining their fingers together.

Cerulean eyes looked down at his feet.

Why was he brought here?

"Are you alright?" That person spoke again, tightening his grip on Grimmjow's hands.

What was the answer?

Will he be able to find it here?

_Ulquiorra_… That name resounded itself in his mind over and over again.

"Grimmjow! What is wrong?" That person's hold on his hands never left.

Grimmjow's sight focused at that and it finally registered in his mind who that person in front of him was. "Ichigo…?" he said slowly.

Ichigo looked relieved. Gone was the worried look from his face. "I'm glad that I've finally got your attention. I was starting to worry there. I need to talk to you." The orange haired teen paused. "It's important."

_They were so close._

_He was so close._

_All Grimmjow had to do was to lean down a bit more and their lips would meet in their first kiss. It would be his first kiss, he thought dizzily, his free arm wrapping itself around Ichigo's waist. How many times had he imagined this? How many times had he fantasized for this to happen? And now, now he had the Berry in his grasp, their lips millimetres away. It was mind boggling. He had never thought that he would reach this moment. He had always thought that this moment would be unattainable._

_And yet, here he was, living his wildest dream. His dream was made possible. All he had to do was lean in and his dream would be complete. And it was all thanks to Cifer._

Cifer.

"_Grimmjow? What's wrong?" Ichigo's eyes had sprung open, wide and staring, a slight look of hurt on his face._

_They were far apart from each other now, a stark difference from their distance from each other moments ago. Grimmjow was breathing hard, his face flushed, his back against a tree._

_He had sprung away from Ichigo and his embrace, breaking all contact._

_Away from their first kiss._

"_I… err… I gotta go," Grimmjow stammered._

That worried look was back on Ichigo's face again. He shook Grimmjow. "Grimmjow…" the orange haired teen breathed, a look of shock on his face. "Why are you crying?"

Crying?

Grimmjow touched his cheek and was surprised when he found that it was wet. He had indeed been crying. Tears rolled down his cheeks. He had never felt so confused and messed up in his entire life. Grimmjow did not answer Ichigo's question because he did not know the answer either. Instead, he lowered his cerulean eyes to their linked hands, suddenly realizing that Ichigo had been holding his hands the whole time.

_Even as Grimmjow was drifting to sleep, he could feel Ulquiorra intertwine his slim fingers with Grimmjow's. He tightened his grip on that small hand subconsciously. It felt right. In fact, it felt like the most natural thing in the world to do._

Ichigo was holding his hands as well in the very same way. They were warm but not the same. The way Ichigo held his hands was the same but at the same time it was not. It just did not feel the same. It was not the same at all. His tears dripped down onto their hands.

And then, he knew what the answer was. The answer hit him like a ton of bricks.

He knew why he was brought here.

He knew why Ichigo wanted to speak to him.

He knew everything.

Grimmjow raised his cerulean eyes to Ichigo's warm brown ones. More tears rolled down his cheeks. He shook his head, letting go of Ichigo's hands. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I can't do this."

* * *

Ichigo closed the door and sank to the ground, his back against the door. Grimmjow had left. He had finally gotten his answer. He did not know whether he should be feeling happy or sad about it. He did not know what to feel.

"How did it go, Ichigo?" said Rukia as she walked into the room. Her voice had a happy lilt to it. But once she saw her best friend sitting down on the floor with his back against the door, she knew that something was wrong. Her happy façade was immediately abandoned.

She knew that it did not go so well.

Rukia came up to Ichigo and kneeled beside him. He looked lost. "Ichigo," she said softly.

No answer.

Instead, Ichigo just looked away. The brown eyes that she loved did not look warm and full of life anymore. She hated seeing him like this. And worst of all, she did not know what words to say to make it all better. Biting her bottom lip, Rukia comforted Ichigo in the only way she knew how to; she wrapped her slim arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug.

Rukia felt Ichigo's arms slowly wrapped themselves around her petite form and the orange haired teen pressed his face against her shoulder. Tears from brown eyes soaked the material of her dress but she did not care. Instead, Rukia pulled him closer and closed her eyes, knowing that this comforted Ichigo. No words were exchanged. There was no need to. They understood each other.

* * *

Grimmjow was running. Running. Running. The cold air stung his eyes as it slapped him in the face, making more tears stream down his face. It suddenly registered in his mind that it was already dark. It was night. He had been lost in his thoughts for so long that he had lost track of time. He had not meant to be away for so long. Ulquiorra must hate him now.

_I'm coming back. Please don't hate me._

How could he have taken so long to realize?

Why did it take so long for him to realize what had been in front of him the entire time?

_Grimmjow nodded tiredly and kissed Ulquiorra on the forehead in response. Ulquiorra snuggled against Grimmjow's warm form, comforted at having him so close and watched as Grimmjow's eyes slid close, giving into sleep. He looked especially endearing when he was asleep, in Ulquiorra's opinion. The pale teen leant up and brushed his lips against Grimmjow's pink ones. "I love you, Grimmjow," Ulquiorra murmured even though he knew the teal haired teen probably could not hear him at the moment._

Grimmjow sped up, his footsteps resounding across the empty street.

Why did it take him so long?

He really was a fool.

_Please don't hate me._

_Because I love you too, Ulquiorra Cifer._


	12. Chapter Twelve

Grimmjow hardly had any sleep the night before. The fact that he had dark circles under his eyes was proof enough of this fact. When he saw a phone booth on his way to Ulquiorra's house, he had immediately tried calling Ulquiorra. But when that did not work, he went to the pale teen's house and rang the doorbell several times, only to receive no answer. He was already worrying like hell at the time but tried to calm himself down by telling himself that it was late and that Ulquiorra was probably asleep. Although he seriously doubted it. That was two nights ago.

He had tried contacting Ulquiorra again the following day, Sunday, but to no avail. There was simply no sign of Ulquiorra in the house. Either that, or he was avoiding Grimmjow. But that was pretty evident since Ulquiorra simply _refused_ to answer any of Grimmjow's calls. The teal haired teen thought that Szayel would have an idea of where Ulquiorra was, but was met with a dead end as well. The pink haired teen did not answer any of his calls either. Szayel must have been informed of what had happened or he was just being his normal hateful self towards Grimmjow.

In this case, Grimmjow did not blame him.

In desperation, Grimmjow had even asked help from Nnoitra, who was pretty much useless when he had a new girlfriend. He did not know where Ulquiorra was, nor did the pale teen contact him. When that failed, Grimmjow searched for Ulquiorra at their favourite hang outs. The pale teen was nowhere to be found.

And now it was Monday.

He had thought that if he was unable to find Ulquiorra on Sunday, he could try looking for the pale teen in school. But try as he might, no matter how hard he tried looking for that familiar doll-like face, emerald eyes and raven hair he had grown to love, he saw no sign of him. He was not in class. He was not in the cafeteria. He was not even in the Music Room. It was like the pale teen did not exist. He was gone without a trace. No goodbye whatsoever. Just nothing.

It was confirmed.

Ulquiorra hated him.

Grimmjow leaned his forehead against his locker. Class was now over. During the whole of Chemistry, he had not been able to concentrate in class at all. He was inattentive, moody, subdued, and quiet. His blonde teacher seemed to have noticed Grimmjow's attitude change in class but chose not to comment on it. At least not yet. The teal haired teen would not be surprised if Mr. Urahara suddenly decided to have a talk with him. Strange as he was, the man was always concerned about his students' well being.

Why was he so stupid?

Grimmjow could feel some tears try to leak themselves out of cerulean eyes but he tried to hold them back. It was not much use though. Some tears managed to break through and they slid down his cheeks slowly.

Ulquiorra Cifer had been right there in front of him the whole time. Ulquiorra had been in love with him. And he, in turn, had been in love with Ulquiorra Cifer all along. And the whole fucking time he had been so BLIND. Blind to everything. Why did it take him so fucking long to realize? He felt like kicking himself.

He really was an idiot. A dense one at that, as Szayel had called him once before.

"Yo, Grimmjow."

Grimmjow felt someone grip his shoulder but he did not move from his spot against the locker. He did not need to turn around to know who it was that stood behind him.

"Go away, Nnoitra," Grimmjow said. "I'm not in the mood."

"Grimmjow," he began carefully. "Look, I know how much Ulquiorra means to you."

"…"

"But you've gotta pull yourself together, man."

"Didn't I tell you that I'm not in the mood for this?"

"Come on, man. This isn't you. This isn't the Grimmjow I know."

"Just go away."

Nnoitra really wanted to hit Grimmjow then but he kept his temper in check. He tried again. "Grimmjow. Ulquiorra wouldn't want to see you this way."

Apparently, this statement hit home because Nnoitra could feel Grimmjow's muscles tense under his hand as soon as the emerald eyed teen's name slipped past his lips. After a few seconds of long drawn silence, Grimmjow finally chose to speak up. "How would you know? Ulquiorra fucking hates me."

"Ulquiorra doesn't hate you, man. He loves-"

"Shut up!" Grimmjow pushed Nnoitra's hand off of his shoulder and whirled around. All of his pent up and mixed emotions were going haywire and he was not able to think straight. At the shocked look on Nnoitra's face, Grimmjow softened, suddenly realizing that he had snapped at the lanky teen without meaning to. "I'm sorry, Nnoitra. I'm just feeling very fucked up right now. I'm not thinking straight. I didn't mean to yell at you like that."

"Never mind that. You are _crying_." Nnoitra was staring at him, wide eyed, disbelief written all over his face. He had never seen Grimmjow cry before. Ulquiorra must have meant a lot to him. "And, you look like shit."

And how right he was. He had never seen Grimmjow so worn down. There were dark circles under his eyes and his teal hair was a mess. Even his cerulean eyes that were usually filled with fire were dulled. His whole being seemed to be screaming with exhaustion. He looked like he had not been able to get a decent night's sleep these past few days.

When Grimmjow did not answer, Nnoitra looked at his best friend's face carefully. What on earth was going on? He had not the slightest clue what was going on with the teal haired teen. All that he knew was that Ulquiorra was pissed off with Grimmjow and that was just about it. Grimmjow had not told him what had happened between him and Cifer. But it could not be that bad, could it? He was sure that whatever it was, the both of them would get along as usual.

"Grimmjow. Whatever it is, I'm sure that Ulquiorra will forgive you. He loves you, Grimm."

"No, he won't," Grimmjow said quietly. "He hates me."

The lanky teen frowned, unable to understand. He just could not picture Ulquiorra Cifer hating Grimmjow. At all. It just did not make any sense. "What makes you say that?" he asked carefully, not wanting to cause Grimmjow to snap at him again.

The teal haired teen lowered his gaze to the ground. Should he tell Nnoitra? The events that had taken place were still fresh in Grimmjow's mind and felt like he needed to tell someone or he was going to lose it. He contemplated whether he should tell Nnoitra or not. His best friend was looking at him with concern.

What Grimmjow said next nearly blew Nnoitra's mind.

"Well, I… I slept with him, Nnoitra."

Silence.

The lanky teen blinked a few times and then laughed, "About time, I-"

"And I left him."

That statement left Nnoitra stunned.

"You did what?"

"I left him, Nnoitra. I left him." Grimmjow leaned against his locker and slid down to the floor. "I have no idea what to do. I'm lost without him. I need to find him but I don't know where he is." The teal haired teen looked up at Nnoitra. "He won't answer my calls. I tried his house but he wouldn't answer. He hates me."

The lanky teen regarded his best friend for a moment, trying to find the right words to say. When he did, he shook his head. "That's where you are wrong, Grimmjow." He rested his hand on his hip. "I still stand by what I say. Ulquiorra loves you and you both will work this out. Now get your butt from the floor and straighten yourself out. You look pathetic."

"But-"

"Shut up and do what I say."

Grimmjow smiled and then stood up. Jiruga really was a good friend when he wanted to be. When it counted. This fact warmed his heart. "Thanks, Nnoitra. I-"

"Please. No chick flick moments," Nnoitra sniffed. "Those are for wusses."

"Nnoitra, I really appreci-"

"If the next thing coming out of your mouth is something mushy, keep quiet or I'll make you shut up."

"Grimmjow."

The teal haired teen turned around, spotting Mr. Urahara standing behind him. He looked serious. He was not even playing around with his fan anymore. The fan was tucked neatly into his belt. "I need to speak to you."

Nnoitra took this as a sign to leave and muttered, "See ya later," before disappearing into the crowds, hurrying for his next class.

"Yes, Mr. Urahara?" Grimmjow said.

* * *

Ulquiorra Cifer checked all of his belongings in his suitcase. It seemed that everything was in order. Even the train ticket that he had bought the day before was tucked neatly into his pocket. He had already called the cab so it should be arriving here any minute now. Everything was going according to plan. He had spent the weekend packing his things and arranging to leave.

The emerald eyed teen sat down on the couch.

_What Grimmjow said next made Ulquiorra look up at him in surprise; "Do you know that you look beautiful, Ulquiorra?"_

"_I…" Ulquiorra began. He was at a loss for words._

"_Well, you are," Grimmjow said. He lowered his head and pressed his lips against Ulquiorra's neck. "You are beautiful."_

A lot of people had called him beautiful before, but none of them affected him or held a special place in his heart like Grimmjow did. He only wished that Grimmjow had meant it. Ulquiorra had tried to stop thinking about the teal haired teen, but it was just impossible. They had shared too many memories together. Ulquiorra had opened up his heart and let Grimmjow in, allowing the teen to take him, body and soul. Something he had never done before.

All Ulquiorra wanted right now was to forget that Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez ever existed but it was proving to be a very difficult task since Grimmjow had been trying to contact him numerous times. Even though Ulquiorra wanted nothing more than to melt into the teal haired teen's sweet embrace, he did not want to allow himself to be vulnerable again. To be lied to. To be used. He just wished that Grimmjow would leave him alone.

The faster he left this place, the better.

_Knock knock knock._

The emerald eyed teen looked up. Someone was outside. _Who could it be_, he wondered as he walked across the living room towards the door, resting his hand on the doorknob. It could be Grimmjow, but he crossed out that possibility since everyone should be in school right now. _Besides, it is not like Grimmjow cares enough about me to actually skip school,_ Ulquiorra thought bitterly. _He's probably too busy fucking Kurosaki._

When he opened the door, however, his eyes widened slightly in surprise at the person standing before him. "Szayel?"

* * *

Grimmjow was in Mr. Urahara's office right now. The man had insisted on them having a talk in private. The teal haired teen looked around his Chemistry teacher's office. This was his first time entering this place. Mr. Urahara only brought students in here whenever he felt the need to talk to them. Up till today, Mr. Urahara must have considered Grimmjow as a normal student who did not need much guidance or talking to. He must have sensed that something was bothering Grimmjow a great deal.

"_I love you, Grimmjow," Ulquiorra murmured even though he knew the teal haired teen probably could not hear him at the moment._

_I love you…_

Mr. Urahara eyed Grimmjow who was sitting across him. Even from the look on Grimmjow's face, Urahara could tell that the teen was in a great deal of distress. He looked lost. Kisuke had been trying to get Grimmjow to open up to him for the past half hour but it was proving to be a very fruitless task. The teal haired teen refused to say anything on the matter. Urahara could tell that whatever was bothering Grimmjow was serious so he wanted to get this resolved as quickly as possible. The exams were nearing, and he did not want Grimmjow to fail.

"Grimmjow."

The teal haired teen looked up, waiting for his blonde teacher to continue.

"I have noticed the change in your behaviour today, Grimmjow." Kisuke paused. He had decided that he may as well get straight to the point. "Is there something wrong?"

Grimmjow shook his head. Urahara seemed a bit disappointed by his lack of cooperation. Well, what the hell was Grimmjow supposed to do? He sure as hell was not going to tell his teacher about his love life. Let alone telling the man that he had sex with Ulquiorra Cifer. The man could ask him as many times as he wanted to but Grimmjow was going to take that information to his grave.

Seeming to have read Grimmjow's mind, Urahara said gently, "Does it have anything to do with Ulquiorra?"

"No," Grimmjow lied. "There's nothing wrong."

"I see." Kisuke scratched his head, puzzled. What on earth could be bothering Grimmjow? He was sure that the teal haired teen was worried about Ulquiorra. Or at least missing Cifer's presence. "Well, that's a relief. He just called me the other day and I thought that maybe you would be a lil-"

_That_ caught Grimmjow's attention.

"He contacted you? When? And what did he say?" Grimmjow spluttered.

"What?" Urahara was a bit shocked by Grimmjow's reaction. "Don't you know…?"

The teal haired teen shook his head.

"Well…" The blonde man hesitated. Should he really be telling Grimmjow this? But Ulquiorra and Grimmjow were quite close, as far as he could tell so it should be no problem. Plus, the look in Grimmjow's eyes made Urahara give in. "Ulquiorra called me to inform me that he will not be attending school for awhile. Standard procedure, you know…"

"What?" Grimmjow breathed, digging his fingernails into the chair he was sitting on.

A pause.

"Are you serious? Why?"

"He'll be gone for a few weeks, Grimmjow-chan," Urahara said. "He told me that he's going to stay at his grand parents' house. He's leaving today, if I am not mistaken."

This revelation left Grimmjow speechless.

* * *

When Ulquiorra opened the door, Szayel's heart lifted. He had been worried sick. But once he saw Ulquiorra's face and how exhausted the emerald eyed teen looked, his small moment of joy immediately evaporated. His friend looked so frail, his heart went out for him.

"Szayel," the raven haired teen addressed him.

"Ulquiorra."

Emerald eyes regarded him for a moment or two. Both of them did not say anything. The silence was deafening. It was like there was a barrier that stood between the both of them. And try as Szayel might, he could not get past that barrier. Things used to be so easy. When did things start becoming so different between the both of them?

_You seem to grow distant._

_Further and further away._

_It seems… I can't catch up to you anymore._

After a few seconds of long drawn silence, Ulquiorra moved aside to let Szayel in, emerald eyes following the pink haired teen's back as Aporro Grantz walked into the living room.

Szayel stood in the middle of the room, surveying his surroundings. They used to be so close. And now, now it seemed like they had nothing to say to each other anymore. Ulquiorra had chosen a different path in life. And Szayel was not in it. The days when they used to spend every day together seemed so distant now. The house looked exactly how it always looked like, but it now seemed foreign to him. How long had it been since he had last step foot in here?

Amber eyes went over the familiar furniture, the pictures… some new, some old. He noticed that there were some new ones that hung on the wall. Pictures of Ulquiorra and Grimmjow, Szayel noted bitterly. Just then, he saw something on the floor that caught his eye. A suitcase. It was lying open. Apparently, Ulquiorra had been going over his things when Szayel had arrived.

"Ulquiorra. Where are you going?" Szayel breathed. His heart was racing a mile a minute.

Ulquiorra was still standing by the door so he closed the door with a soft _click _before walking towards the suitcase, closing it shut. "Nowhere, Szayel. I'm just going to be away for a few days," the emerald eyed teen avoided the question, his fingers working to work a little padlock on to prevent his belongings from getting stolen.

_I thought we were friends._

_I thought friends were meant to be there for each other._

_I thought friendship was a hard bond to break._

_Where did I go wrong?_

_I ignored it for so long._

Szayel balled his fists up. "You are lying," he said quietly. "I know you are."

No answer.

The pink haired teen felt like screaming at Ulquiorra. Shaking the pale teen. Why wouldn't he answer him? He desperately wanted his best friend to at least talk to him. Please. Was it too much to ask? Was it too much to ask for Ulquiorra to even look at him? Just once, just once he would like Ulquiorra to look at him the way Ulquiorra looked at Grimmjow.

Szayel reached out and touched Ulquiorra's shoulder. "Please, Ulquiorra," Szayel pleaded. "Please tell me what is wrong."

Emerald eyes stared back at him impassively.

_I thought I could catch up,_

_But every time we seem closer, _

_The gap between us widens._

Aporro Grantz could tell that Ulquiorra was hiding something. He recognized that look so well. Behind that emotionless mask lay the emerald eyed teen's inner turmoil. No one else knew Ulquiorra as well as he did. No one. Szayel knew Ulquiorra better than the emerald eyed teen knew himself. At least that was what he liked to think. There was no way Grimmjow understood Cifer the way that he did. And he was not about to let some teal haired bastard just take him away.

"There is nothing wrong, Szayel," Cifer said finally. "Really." He turned back to working on the lock. "You don't have to worry about me."

_It seems you're disappearing from my sight…_

_I don't think I can catch up anymore. _

That hurt.

Ulquiorra used to tell him everything. But now, now Szayel hardly knew what was going on in Ulquiorra's life. Why was everything so different now? Szayel was trying to calm himself down, but it was just so hard. He was practically shaking. He turned Ulquiorra to face him, surprising Cifer, his fingers digging into the smaller teen's shoulder.

"Where are you going?" Szayel repeated, getting desperate. "Why aren't you even looking at me? Tell me what's going on! I'm your friend."

Ulquiorra looked right into Szayel's amber eyes at that, and then at the hand that Szayel was using to grip his shoulder. He sighed. "Szayel. Please let go of me. You are hurting me," he said calmly. "And for the last time, I am perfectly fine. I'm just going to the train station." He shrugged Szayel's hand off of his shoulder and turned back to the suitcase, sliding the key in to lock the padlock.

Once that was done, he stood up, suitcase in hand. "Don't worry about me. Please. I'm just going to be away for awhile."

_You seem to grow distant._

"Stop lying to me!" the amber eyed teen cried. He caught Ulquiorra's thin wrist and pulled him towards Szayel, making the smaller teen cry out. "Don't walk away from me!" They were so close now, merely inches away from each other. "Don't walk away. Not… Not without telling me what's going on."

Ulquiorra looked slightly alarmed at Szayel's behaviour. He reached up and gripped Szayel's wrist, trying to make the pink haired teen loosen his hold on him. "Szayel. I'm sorry, but I'm not feeling very well. I just need some time alone. I'm sorry, I-"

"Liar."

"I… I-" Ulquiorra seemed to be at a loss for words. He did not know what to say to Szayel, nor did he know how to deal with Szayel's strange behaviour. This was very much new to him.

"You don't know do you?" Szayel felt like laughing.

The look in Ulquiorra's eyes told him everything.

"You don't know," Szayel said, his heart falling. His eyes fell down to Ulquiorra's neck, spotting a purple bruise that marred that perfect white skin. "Of course you don't know," he said bitterly. No doubt that that was the work of Grimmjow. He tightened his grip on Ulquiorra's wrist.

_More than ever._

The next thing that Szayel did was something that Ulquiorra did not expect to ever happen. Not in a million years.

Szayel had pulled Ulquiorra forward and crushed their lips together.

The pink haired teen could feel Ulquiorra immediately go still with shock when their lips met contact. He did not care that Ulquiorra was not responding. He just did not care. He had kept his feelings for Ulquiorra to himself for so long. For too long. He just wanted… He just wanted to show what he felt. He just wanted Ulquiorra to know. To know what he had been keeping inside of him all this time. Szayel reached up and cupped Ulquiorra's pale cheek, his other hand releasing Ulquiorra's wrist and wrapping itself around the slender teen's body, pulling Ulquiorra close.

Ulquiorra seemed so frail in his arms. So small and fragile. Like Cifer could just break at the slightest pressure.

And he wanted nothing more than to hold Ulquiorra in his arms here forever. To protect him from ever getting hurt again. Szayel never wanted Ulquiorra to get hurt ever again. There was still no response from the smaller teen, but Szayel just kept on kissing Cifer, pouring his soul into the kiss, rubbing the pad of his thumb against Ulquiorra's cheek gently.

It seemed like time stopped the moment Szayel began kissing Ulquiorra. He was lost in a sea of emotions, and he felt overwhelmed but he carried on. Ulquiorra's lips were soft and he tasted sweet. Szayel pulled Cifer even closer until they were practically flush together. Please feel the same way...

When he finally withdrew, still maintaining his hold on Ulquiorra, Szayel breathed, "Well, now you know."

Ulquiorra's emerald eyes were wide, the look on his face was one of pure shock. He shook his head. "No… I don't-"

"Of course you don't," Szayel interrupted. "You never knew." He rested his forehead against Ulquiorra's, closing his eyes. "You never knew that all this time." He lowered his lips to Ulquiorra's black and white ones once more. "That all this time I have been in love with you."

"I love you, Ulquiorra Cifer. I always have," Szayel said before closing the distance between their lips, caressing Ulquiorra's soft lips with his own. He felt something wet drip down his hand that he held against the pale teen's cheek, and before he knew it, Ulquiorra had wrenched his lips away from Szayel's, pushing the pink haired teen away from him.

Ulquiorra looked angry, his emerald eyes blazing. There was even hurt in those eyes. And he was crying, his tears falling down his cheeks like sparkling pearls.

"Stay away from me," he breathed.

"But, Ulquiorra-"

The emerald eyed teen shook his head, his raven hair slapping his cheeks as he did so. "Enough." He pulled himself out of Szayel's embrace, leaving the pink haired teen to feel the cold air rush in when their bodies separated. Grabbing his suitcase, he made for the door, his intention clear. Throwing one last look over his shoulder, he choked, "Just stay away from me. You and Grimmjow. Both of you. Leave me alone." He said it with so much finality that Szayel stayed rooted to the spot, amber eyes wide and staring.

_I can't see you anymore._

Ulquiorra turned his back on the amber eyed teen, his mind made up. Nothing was going to change his mind. His mind was set. "Good bye, Szayel," he said. "I will see you soon."

_It seems you're disappearing from my sight…_

_I don't think I can catch up anymore. _

_You seem to grow distant._

_More than ever._

_I can't see you anymore._

"See me soon?" Szayel could not take it anymore. This was just too much for him. "Come back, Ulquiorra! Don't leave!" What he really wanted to say was "don't leave me", but he did not. The amber eyed teen choked as he watched Ulquiorra's retreating back. He had never felt as far away from the emerald eyed teen as he did at this very moment.

When Ulquiorra was finally out of sight, Szayel fell to his knees.

_The pale boy opened the card then, and read it. A small smile formed on his face, his eyes lighting up slightly. He looked so adorable then. So full of innocence. Looking up from the card, Ulquiorra closed it carefully. "I love you too, Szayel." He pulled the surprised pink haired boy into a hug. "You are my best friend."_

Szayel laughed bitterly. No matter how hard he tried to reach for it, moments like that found a way to escape from his grasp. It seemed like that those days were so far away now.

* * *

Ulquiorra had not meant to be so harsh to Szayel, but he could not help it. He was still in a state of shock. He had just been hurt and even though Szayel was his best friend and he knew that Szayel would protect Ulquiorra at all costs, he did not want to go through the whole experience again. The way Szayel had suddenly pulled him forward to kiss him reminded him so much of Grimmjow that it hurt.

_He was about to push Grimmjow away, when Grimmjow suddenly pulled him onto the teal haired teen's lap, never breaking the kiss. The taller teen held Ulquiorra close, as though he did not want to let the smaller teen go._

He just wanted to get away from all of this. This was too much. The fact that Szayel had kept on kissing him when he did not give any response hurt him even more. They were supposed to be friends, weren't they? Friends were not supposed to do things like that that could hurt them.

This whole experience made Ulquiorra feel like he could not trust anybody. Grimmjow had used him and taken away his virginity. And he was close to Ulquiorra. So close. Who was to say that Szayel would not do the same thing? Use him and throw him away once he was done with him?

Ulquiorra did not want that to happen.

And then there was the fact that he did not return Szayel's love.

The emerald eyed teen looked up and saw that the cab had already arrived. It was time to go.

His heart had always belonged to Grimmjow. He loved Grimmjow and only Grimmjow. There was no one else that could take Jaegerjaquez's place. No one.

* * *

Surprising as it may sound, Grimmjow had never skipped class before in his entire life. _Well, there's a first time for everything_, Grimmjow thought gravely. He knew that he was going to get into a whole lot of trouble for this but he did not give a shit about that. His parents would probably go nuts as well. Okay, maybe not. His mum might give him a talking to for awhile and then she would pour herself a cup of sake. His dad on the other hand, would probably just smile and say that he was growing up. His parents may be more easy going than most, but that did not mean he would not get the heat from the teachers in school.

But if getting into trouble meant that he would be able to get Ulquiorra back, he would do it again without hesitation.

The sun was beating down mercilessly upon his back but Grimmjow kept on going. He passed by numerous houses until finally, he came upon Ulquiorra's. To his surprise, he saw that the door was open.

"Ulquiorra?" Grimmjow pushed the door slightly more open, peering inside.

"Ulquiorra is not here," Szayel said, suddenly appearing in front of Grimmjow's face, scaring the hell out of the teal haired teen.

"Holy shit!" Grimmjow yelped. "Damn it! Don't do that!"

Szayel continued to watch Grimmjow through cold amber eyes as the teal haired teen clutched at his heart.

Once he had calmed down, Szayel's words sank in. "What? Then where is he?" Grimmjow said frantically. "He's not gone already, is he?"

The cerulean eyed teen did not need Szayel to answer him to know that. He turned around and spotted Ulquiorra putting his suitcase into a cab. Grimmjow's heart nearly stopped then. Ulquiorra really was going. "ULQUIORRA!"

The emerald eyed teen must have heard him because he looked up, his eyes wide.

Time seemed to stand still when emerald and cerulean eyes met. Both owners were longing to be in each other's arms once more. Both wanted to kiss each other with so much want. Both wanted to tell the other that he loved him. Both wanted each other. There was nothing else to it. Ulquiorra and Grimmjow wanted to become one again. To be together once more.

"Ulquiorra…" Grimmjow said softly.

He was about to walk towards the emerald eyed teen when he felt an arm wrap itself around his chest.

"Don't you dare, Jaegerjaquez," Szayel said dangerously.

This seemed to snap Ulquiorra out of his trance, and so he did what he had set out to do. He stepped into the cab.

"Damn it, Szayel!" Grimmjow struggled in Aporro Grantz's hold. "What's your fucking problem?" He watched in desperation as Ulquiorra closed the cab door shut, his emerald eyes gazing up at him and then closing before he turned his head away from Grimmjow. There seemed to be a finality in this action that wounded Grimmjow deeply. It was like Ulquiorra was cutting off all of his connections with Grimmjow with that one last look.

The teal haired teen struggled some more but it was no use. Szayel was holding him back too tight. The pink haired teen must have been putting all of his strength into this. Grimmjow watched in desperation as the cab Ulquiorra was in drove away, putting distance between him and Cifer, just the way Cifer had wanted it to.

When the cab was out of sight, Szayel finally let Grimmjow go. The teal haired teen fell to his knees. "Why the hell did you do that?" he said quietly. Silent fury was bubbling within him. Why was Szayel standing in the way? Why couldn't the pink haired bitch just mind his own business?

Szayel regarded the teal haired teen through his spectacles. "Because," he said, "You are the one who hurt him. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out. I stopped you because I didn't want you to do that to Ulquiorra again."

Grimmjow stared at the ground, balling up his fists. Szayel's words hit him, blow by blow. It infuriated him that the pink haired bitch was so condescending. But what made him angrier was that Aporro Grantz was right. But Grimmjow was trying to set things right. Didn't he deserve a chance? The silent fury that Grimmjow was trying to contain was practically radiating off of him.

"And what makes you think," Grimmjow said darkly, "that I will hurt him again?" He rose to his feet and faced Szayel. He grabbed the front of Szayel's shirt. They were both practically staring daggers at each other. "Don't you think that I feel bad enough?"

"Well-" Szayel began.

"At least I am trying to set things straight," Grimmjow's voice rose.

"I'm not going to take that chance," the pink haired teen said heatedly. "Knowing you, you will just screw everything up and-"

"Don't I deserve a second chance?" Grimmjow said, his voice full of venom. But there was also vulnerability and helplessness in his voice. Tears were leaking out of Grimmjow's cerulean eyes, shocking Szayel. He had never seen Jaegerjaquez cry before.

Amber eyes softened. "You really love him, don't you?" he said softly.

"Yes," Grimmjow said without thinking twice. "With all my heart."

Szayel regarded Grimmjow for a moment or two, contemplating what he should do next. The sincerity in the teal haired teen's eyes was unmistakable. When he finally came to a decision, he sighed. It pained him to do this, but if it meant that Ulquiorra would be happy, then he would do it. "Then go after him," he whispered. "He is going to the train station. Catch him before he boards the train."

The cerulean eyed teen let go of Szayel, surprised at Szayel's sudden change of heart but once it registered in his mind that Aporro Grantz was not messing with him, he nodded. "Thank you."

And even though Szayel felt horrible for saying it, he said, "Go get him. And good luck."

* * *

**A/N: The poem that was during Szayel's meeting with Ulquiorra is by **_**star-stickies**_**. All credits for the poem goes directly to her!**


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Ulquiorra clutched at his suitcase. His throat felt raw. It hurt so much to keep his pain in. The tears wanted so much to spring out of his emerald eyes once more and let his feelings flow, but he refrained from doing so. He had to be strong. He had cried enough. He was not going to waste any more tears on someone like Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. It just was not worth it. _He_ just was not worth it.

_Grimmjow_ just was not worth it.

Even with these thoughts in mind, his heart said otherwise. The slender teen wanted so badly to look out of the window and see Grimmjow. And reach out for him, just like how Grimmjow had reached out for Ulquiorra. He wanted to intertwine his fingers with Grimmjow's, linking them together; a sign of them being one. But Ulquiorra stared ahead determinedly and ignored the teal haired teen who was just a few feet away from the cab.

He had to be strong.

He could not stay here. He could not breathe. It was too much to take. The feeling of being abandoned made him feel helpless. And he did not like feeling this way. He had been abandoned once as a child. He had been abandoned once again but by Grimmjow.

Who was to say that everything would work out just fine, just like a fairy tale?

This is real life. And in life, there are no happy endings.

Ulquiorra did not feel sorry for leaving Grimmjow. Grimmjow was the one who broke things off in the first place, who did not love him at all. But even if Ulquiorra did not feel sorry for leaving, it certainly pained him to do so. It was like he was leaving a part of himself behind. Ulquiorra reached up and traced his fingers along his bottom lip.

"Where are we going again, son?" the cab driver asked, looking at Ulquiorra through the rear view mirror.

These lips. These lips were the ones that have been caressed by Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez' lips.

"The train station."

And most recently, by his best friend, Szayel Aporro Grantz.

_I'm sorry, Szayel. I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I've been such a terrible friend._

"That kid with the blue eyes. He seems like he wants to talk to you. Anyone important?" the cab driver asked conversationally as he turned a corner.

It really was getting hard to breathe.

Ulquiorra looked up.

"No, he isn't anyone important," Ulquiorra heard himself reply. "He's nobody," he finished softly.

* * *

Where was she?

Nnoitra was wandering the school hall, looking for the girl with the green hair that he knew so well. He needed to talk to her. He knew that she hated his guts but he needed to talk to her. He needed to fix things with her. Nnoitra wandered around some more until he came upon the school library. Maybe she was in here. The door creaked open as Nnoitra twisted the door knob open. Almost immediately his eyes came upon the green haired girl that he was looking for.

Neliel Tu Oderschvank.

Neliel was studying with a group of friends. Nnoitra knew a few of them like Cirucci (one of the creepiest chicks he had ever met), Zommari and Aaroniero. The rest, he did not know, but they did not matter. Right now only one person mattered. And so Nnoitra approached her. He cleared his throat when he was behind her. She seemed to be preoccupied with reading a book.

"Nel," Nnoitra said.

"…"

"I need to speak to you in private," Nnoitra tried again.

Neliel put the book that she was reading down. She looked annoyed. Her friends looked up from their work, interested. Some even sent hostile looks his way. It seemed that they knew who Nnoitra was to Neliel. "What do you want?" she snapped.

Nnoitra winced. Well, he deserved that. "We need to talk."

"No, we don't." Neliel turned back in her seat. "Go away, Jiruga."

"No." Nnoitra was determined. "This is important."

"Go. Away."

"Come on, Nel!"

Neliel exhaled deeply. "Fine!" she snapped. She did not like dealing with Nnoitra. Didn't the guy get it? She was NOT interested in him. At all. But if talking to him would make him shut up, then she would talk. However, that did not mean that she was going to be cooperative. As Nnoitra led her outside of the library and out into the hall, she crossed her arms across her chest.

"Well?" She tapped her foot impatiently. "Talk."

The lanky teen shuffled his feet, wondering how he was going to put his thoughts into words. When Neliel saw that he remained silent, she made to return to the library, rolling her eyes as she did so.

"Wait!" Nnoitra called out.

"What?" Neliel said, irritated. "Say what you've got to say or don't at all."

Nnoitra rubbed the back of his head. This was going to be harder than he thought. He took a deep breath and released it. Well, all he had to do was to speak from the heart, right? And to actually mean it. It took him forever to gather the courage to talk to Neliel and he did not want to screw things up now. If things did not work out, at least he tried. Well, here goes nothing.

"Neliel," Nnoitra began. The green haired female raised an eyebrow. Jiruga was not usually this serious but the hostility never left her eyes. "I… I don't know how to say this, but…"

"What? You want another screw?" Neliel scoffed. "You aren't getting any, so if you'll excuse me…"

"You haven't let me finish!" Nnoitra said exasperatedly. "I'm… I'm…" Come on. Just say it. "I…" His mind turned blank when he looked into those grey eyes. What if his words just weren't enough? "Neliel, I…" This thing had been chewing on him on the inside although he had always put up a façade of indifference in front of his friends. It was now or never. "Neliel," Nnoitra's voice grew strong. "I'm sorry."

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him. "For what?" What the hell was he playing at?

"For everything," he replied. "The other day… After the carnival… It made me realize something." He paused. Just say it. "It made me realize that what I did to you before was wrong. And that I never should have done it. It made me realize that the things I've done hurt other people. But I'm trying to change. I'm not saying that I'm perfect, but I'm trying to become a better person. I know words won't ever make up for what I've done, but for what it's worth, I'm sorry, Neliel."

Neliel blinked and then regained her composure. "What are you trying to pull, Jiruga?" she growled. "What do you want?"

"Nothing," Nnoitra responded honestly.

"…" The sincerity in his eyes made her speechless.

"I don't want anything from you, Nel. I just wanted to apologize. I just don't want any hard feelings."

When Neliel saw that Nnoitra was not lying, a smile tugged at the edges of her lips and she chuckled. "Well, what do you know? You _are_ capable of change." She smirked and held out her hand. "Apology accepted." The smirk turned into a genuine smile.

The lanky teen shook her hand. "Friends?"

"Friends." She nodded and then let go, letting her hand fall to her side. "Well, I've got to go. I've got some studying to do." She turned on her heel to leave.

"Wait!"

Neliel looked over her shoulder, a questioning look on her face.

"Uhh…" Damn this was awkward. "Could you not mention this to anyone?"

She let out a laugh. "You really are a piece of work, aren't you? Don't worry about it. I won't mention it to anyone."

"Thanks." Nnoitra sighed in relief.

He still had a reputation to uphold, after all.

_Hey, change doesn't happen overnight, okay?_

Feeling his cell phone vibrate in his jean pocket, Nnoitra pulled it out and flipped it open. Who could be calling him during school hours? He pressed the device to his ear.

…

"You want me to WHAT?"

* * *

"We are here."

Ulquiorra who had been looking at his hands on his lap raised his eyes to look out of the window. Indeed, they had arrived at the train station. The last time he had come here was a few months ago and it was to visit his grandparents. _Well_, Ulquiorra thought, _just think of this as a visit that's long overdue_. His grandparents were expecting him.

"Thank you." Ulquiorra fished for some money in his wallet and paid the cab driver.

"No. Thank _you_, son." The man smiled. "You should be running along now, else you miss your train?"

"Yes." Ulquiorra hesitated. Did he really want to go?

"Something the matter?"

The emerald eyed teen blinked, shaking his head slowly. "No…" He brushed his bangs away from his eyes. "There's nothing wrong. I was just thinking. Thank you, sir."

The man nodded and watched Ulquiorra open the door, his mind finally made up.

That done, Ulquiorra stepped out of the cab, closing the door shut behind him, his little suitcase in one hand. He gazed up at the building. Now that he was here, it finally hit him how real the situation is. He heard the cab driver drive away, the tires screeching against the rough road, leaving Ulquiorra with no chance of changing his mind and getting back. Well, it was not like Ulquiorra was going to change his mind, no matter how much time he was given to mull the matter over.

Taking in a deep breath, Ulquiorra willed himself to enter the building and began walking.

Ulquiorra pulled his ticket out of his pocket and checked the number.

Platform 10.

And his train was going to go in about half an hour. He was early. Ulquiorra pocketed his ticket and entered the building, moving along with the crowd. It looked like there were a lot of people here today. There weren't any teenagers. No surprise there. It was school hours and it was not the holidays yet. There were, however, college students. They must be on their semester breaks and wanted to return home. There were also a few couples, no doubt going someplace together. Many adults jostled about and the chatter of children could be heard.

As he walked towards his platform, Ulquiorra felt so small.

But then again, he had always been small. In terms of his body size and how much he mattered to people who were important to him.

_Ulquiorra felt Grimmjow place his hands on his slim hips, and Grimmjow's lips ghosting over his as he pulled Ulquiorra closer. They stayed like that for a few moments that seemed like an eternity, their breaths mingling with one another._

Ulquiorra reprimanded himself for thinking that way. He _did _matter. He was _not _small. No matter how hard this was, he had to go through with it.

"_I'm waiting." Ulquiorra's voice broke him out of his thoughts. Cifer had a smirk on his face. He was teasing Grimmjow again! Daring him. Pushing at his buttons. The little shit was really pushing his luck. "I knew that you wouldn't dare to do it. I-"_

He could not become weak. He did NOT want to be weak. Never again. And he was not going to allow anyone the chance to use him again.

More determined than ever, Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes and took a seat once he reached his platform, settling down next to an old man who had fallen asleep.

_Grimmjow growled and closed the distance between their lips, shutting Ulquiorra up._

Damn all of the memories. Damn every moment that he had spent with Grimmjow. He was not going to let it affect him anymore.

Ulquiorra pulled a book out of his coat and began to read.

Now all he had to do was to wait.

* * *

"I can't believe you are making me skip school…" Nnoitra grumbled as he let the teal haired teen into his car. Oh wait. Did that just come out of his mouth? He could not BELIEVE that he had actually said that. Someone please slap him and bring back the real Nnoitra Jiruga quickly. "You must REALLY like him. Couldn't you just have called him or something? Or at least wait till he returns from wherever he's going to?"

"Don't worry; I got Szayel to cover for us. And you said that I should work this out with Ulquiorra!" Grimmjow snapped back, irritated, as he put on his seat belt. They were starting to move. "Besides, if I wait, he would think that I don't care. He'd be even more pissed off at me."

"I meant that you two should work this out amongst yourselves, NOT drag ME into it!" Nnoitra stepped on the gas. He had come to pick Grimmjow at Cifer's as quickly as he could, but he really needed to move it if they were to catch up with Ulquiorra. Nnoitra tightened his grip on the steering wheel, his mouth set in a thin line. He had never been so serious for so long in his entire life. It was starting to become a pain. And it was _still_ morning. "I don't even know why the hell I am doing this… I should be in class..." Nnoitra said under his breath.

Again, someone please slap him and bring back the real Nnoitra Jiruga.

"It's because I'm your best friend and you love me."

"Don't push your luck, Jaegerjaquez."

Grimmjow smirked but that smirk immediately fell. Ulquiorra had left about fifteen minutes ago. He should be reaching the train station anytime now. If he was lucky, he would be able to catch the pale teen before he would have to board the train.

"Can't you go any faster?"

"Are you friggin' nuts? I'm driving right on the fucking speed limit! Any faster, I'll be fined!"

"It's not my fault that my car is in the workshop!"

"It's not MY fault that _your_ car is in the workshop!"

"Will you just step on it?"

"Are you crazy, Jaegerjaquez? I don't want to get my license suspended!"

"I will pay for the fine AND I will drive you around! Besides, there aren't any police around!"

"For a whole year? Are you friggin' kidding me?"

"Oh, for God's sake!" Grimmjow reached out with his foot and pressed his foot on top of Nnoitra's, stepping on the gas.

"ARE YOU FUCKING NUTS, GRIMMJOW JAEGERJAQUEZ…………………….....!" Nnoitra screeched. "YOU ARE GONNA GET US KILLED!" Then he started screaming uncharacteristically like a girl. Hey, you would scream like a girl too if some blue haired maniac suddenly stepped on the gas pedal all the way to the bottom.

Oh, well. At least it did the trick. Because they were able to reach the train station in a matter of minutes. Luckily, luck was by their side as they did not get caught by the police, much to Grimmjow and Nnoitra's relief. Once they came out of the car and locked it, however, Nnoitra reached out and whacked Grimmjow upside the head. "Don't DO that. Ever again. You hear me?"

"Ow! Damn it, Nnoitra!" Grimmjow rubbed the spot where he had been hit. "Fine. I won't. But please help me find him, okay?"

"Fine," Nnoitra said, deflated. There was no point in staying angry with Grimmjow anyways. He would have probably done the same thing if he was in Grimmjow's place. "Right then!" Nnoitra smacked his fist against his open palm, a grin of confidence on his face. "Let's go look for your Emo Prince!"

"Thanks."

But looking for Ulquiorra proved to be a very difficult and frustrating task. There were just too many people bustling about, going to their platforms, boarding on their trains. Who knew, maybe Ulquiorra had already boarded on his train? But Grimmjow tried not to think about that possibility. Ulquiorra HAD to be here someplace! He could not be far off. But there were just so many platforms… Grimmjow nearly wanted to tear his hair out in despair. How was he supposed to find Ulquiorra? And the fact that he did not know where the HELL Ulquiorra's grandparents' place was did not help matters. Even Aporro Grantz did not know. How was he supposed to find him?

He had no choice. He would just have to go through each platform.

Watching Grimmjow look around in a futile attempt to find his emerald eyed lover made Nnoitra feel sorry for him. Jiruga bit his bottom lip. There were quite a number of platforms here. There was no way that they would be able to find Ulquiorra if they searched each platform together. Unless…

"Grimmjow!" Nnoitra called out loudly over the crowd. Grimmjow was a few feet away but he heard Nnoitra over the chatter of the crowd. "I'm going to look through this side, you go look through the other, okay?" When he saw the teal haired teen nod, Nnoitra went on his way, looking for that familiar raven haired teen.

Grimmjow searched around frantically. "Shit, shit, shit…!" he cursed under his breath. Why was he so fucking stupid? Grimmjow wanted to kick himself. But this was not the time for him to pity himself. He needed to find Ulquiorra. He could not let Ulquiorra board the train. If he did, he just knew that Ulquiorra's anger towards him would just grow until it finally turned into hate. Their relationship would be hard to repair, or worse, irreparable.

The teal haired teen passed through each platform after seeing that Ulquiorra was nowhere to be found.

Platform 1… No Ulquiorra.

Faster.

Platform 2… Nothing.

_Don't give up._

Platform 3… Nothing.

How minutes have passed?

Platform 4… Nothing.

No wait. He caught sight of raven hair.

"Ulquiorra?"

"No, I'm sorry. I-I'm afraid that I don't know you-"

Grimmjow let out a cry of frustration and continued on his way, completely ignoring the bewildered look on the guy's face. He kept on passing by teenage boys with raven hair but after looking at each one closely, he saw that they were nothing compared to Ulquiorra. Was fate being cruel to him by dangling guys that looked like Ulquiorra to him from afar?

Platform 5…

* * *

Ulquiorra looked at his watch. Ten minutes have passed. Why did time feel like it was passing by slowly whenever he wanted it to pass by quickly? He put down the book that he was reading. He was not in the mood to read. Besides, he must have read the old thing a dozen times by now. Putting the book back into his coat, Ulquiorra was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard a child crying.

Raising his emerald orbs to the direction of the source of the crying, Ulquiorra spotted a little boy crying in the corner.

Ulquiorra looked around. There did not seem to be any adults with the child. No one else seemed to be taking any notice of the boy. They all passed by him without a second glance. Ulquiorra hesitated. Did he have time? He could easily miss his train. Deciding that he could spare some time to help the little boy, he stood up. Wondering what was wrong, Ulquiorra approached the little boy and knelt down so that he was at eye level with the child.

"Why are you crying?" Ulquiorra asked gently. "Is there something wrong?"

"I'm… I'm lost. I don't know where my parents are," the child sniffled. He raised his little face from between his legs and wiped at his tears, his grey eyes large. His bottom lip quivered before fresh tears sprung up to his eyes again. "I feel so lost and lonely."

That last sentence made Ulquiorra stop. This little boy reminded him of himself. And also of how he felt at the moment although he kept his emotions masked whereas this little boy did not. The boy did not need to say more; Ulquiorra did not want the child to experience these two emotions any longer. Even if he would have to miss his train helping the child, it would be worth it.

"What's your name?" Ulquiorra asked. "Don't worry, I just want to help you."

"Sa- Satoshi."

"Well, Satoshi," Ulquiorra smiled, "Let's dry those tears of yours. I'll help you look for your parents." He pulled a clean handkerchief from his pocket and held the boy's little face with his hand while he dabbed the tears away.

"Really?" Satoshi said hopefully.

"Yes, really," Ulquiorra confirmed. He had finished drying the grey eyed boy's tears and now held his hand in front of him, which Satoshi gratefully accepted. "Now let's go look for them. Where was the last place you've seen them?"

* * *

Platform 6… Nothing.

What if he had missed Ulquiorra?

Platform 7… Nothing.

What if Ulquiorra had already gone?

* * *

Satoshi held onto Ulquiorra's hand tightly as they walked through the crowd to the place that he had told Ulquiorra he had last seen his parents. Ulquiorra's lips were set in a thin line and he kept on looking at his watch repeatedly. He looked anxious but he refused to leave Satoshi's side. The little boy bit his bottom lip. "Sir, why are you helping me?"

Ulquiorra was silent for several moments before he finally answered quietly, "Because I know how it feels like to be alone." To make the boy feel more at ease, he smiled, though the smile did not quite reach his eyes. It was hard trying to look strong when he himself did not feel strong at the moment. "But we'll find your parents, don't you worry."

"Why are you sad?" Satoshi asked all of a sudden.

Ulquiorra looked sharply at the boy, his eyes wide. "What makes you say that?" he asked carefully.

"Because you look lonely and you don't look well."

It looked like Ulquiorra was not as good at masking his emotions as he thought he was.

"It's… complicated," Ulquiorra avoided the question.

Silence.

Then Satoshi spoke up once more. "Are you running away?"

That made Ulquiorra stop completely in his tracks, his heart beating fast. Satoshi stopped as well, looking up at Ulquiorra curiously. "Wh- what?" Ulquiorra spluttered. "Why would you think that I am running away, Satoshi?"

"Well… You are alone and you look like you are my brother's age. Mummy and daddy won't let him travel alone. Says that he is too young."

Ah. Ulquiorra let out the breath that he had been holding in. An innocent child's question. He had thought for a moment there that the boy had known about his situation but it turned out he was merely comparing Ulquiorra to his brother. Ulquiorra laughed awkwardly. "I wouldn't say that I am running away, Satoshi. I'm just going away for awhile to be alone. I need some time to myself."

"I don't understand. If you are already alone, why do you want to be alone again?"

"Come on, we are nearly there. Your parents must be worried sick about you." Ulquiorra did not feel like saying anymore on the subject because as much as he would like to deny it, the boy's question made sense.

* * *

Platform 8… Nothing.

There were just so many people.

Platform 9…

Grimmjow kept on calling out Ulquiorra's name, but no one answered. He was nearly at the end of his rope.

* * *

"Thank you for bringing our son back to us. How can we ever repay you?" Satoshi's mother said. She was hugging her son tightly, glad to have him back in her arms once more.

Ulquiorra smiled. "It's no problem, ma'am. I'm just glad to help." Luckily, Satoshi's parents were not too far off and it did not take him too long to look for them. As soon as Satoshi had seen his parents, he immediately shouted and ran towards them, clinging onto them for dear life. He had to admit, he could feel envy when he saw the affectionate display that Satoshi's parents returned to their son and for the first time in a very long time, Ulquiorra wished that he had parents like that. But that was just wishful thinking now, wasn't it? His mother was dead, and his father was an asshole. "I'll be on my way now. My train leaves in a few minutes."

The emerald eyed teen turned on his heel when he felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around his waist. Satoshi had jumped and hugged him from behind. Surprised, Ulquiorra looked down at the boy clinging onto him. "Satoshi…?" Ulquiorra said slowly.

"Thank you," was all the boy said, burying his face into Ulquiorra's coat.

This time Ulquiorra smiled a genuine smile. "You're welcome. But I have to go now." He picked up the little boy and set him down on the ground.

Satoshi nodded and then wrapped his arms around Ulquiorra's neck, pulling him into a hug. Slightly surprised to be hugged once more, Ulquiorra hugged the boy back tentatively. "Don't be sad anymore, okay, sir? You're too nice for that," Satoshi whispered before letting go and running back to his parents, leaving a bewildered Ulquiorra. "Good bye and thank you!"

Ulquiorra waved and let his hand fall back to his side, watching Satoshi and his family disappear into the crowd. It was time for him to go. He had about seven minutes until his train leaves. He stood up, brushing at his clothes and returned to his platform, his hands shoved in his pockets.

Kids.

The emerald eyed teen brushed raven locks from his eyes.

It was funny how for kids, they had a simple solution for everything whereas as we get older, we tend to complicate things. Don't you think?

Ulquiorra had arrived at his platform. Nearly time to go. With his little suitcase in one hand, Ulquiorra was about to sit down on one of the seats provided when he heard an all too familiar voice calling out for him, making his blood run cold, making his heart stop.

"Ulquiorra!"

Unable to believe his ears, the emerald eyed teen looked over his shoulder slowly. "Grimmjow?" Ulquiorra's throat constricted. Grimmjow had actually followed him all the way here? "What are you doing here?"

Grimmjow was out of breath and sweat ran down his face but he did not care anymore. When cerulean eyes met with emerald, he felt like he and Ulquiorra were the only ones here. Ulquiorra had finally turned around fully to face him, green eyes wide. The teal haired teen took a few breaths of air. He felt a bit dizzy from all of that running around. Grimmjow reached out and grabbed Ulquiorra's wrist, whose eyes were growing larger by the second. "Please don't go, Ulquiorra."

Ulquiorra was speechless.

What was he supposed to say?

Grimmjow's hold on Ulquiorra's wrist tightened. He did not want Ulquiorra to leave. Ever. "Don't go, Ulquiorra," he repeated. "Please… stay."

Ulquiorra's heart warmed at hearing those words. Seeing Grimmjow again made him happy. Throughout this whole ordeal, he had been secretly wishing that the teal haired teen would come to look for him but now that Grimmjow was here and that the initial happiness of seeing him was gone, Ulquiorra was angry. Who was Grimmjow to make such demands? What did Grimmjow want from him anyways? Wasn't Kurosaki enough? Wasn't their first time enough? Ulquiorra pulled his wrist away from Grimmjow, his eyes hardening.

"Stay? You want me to stay?" Ulquiorra felt like laughing. However, this was not from amusement. It was from bitterness. "Why should I stay, Grimmjow? You've gotten what you wanted from me, there's nothing else that I can give you."

"No." Grimmjow could not believe it. Ulquiorra was withdrawing within himself. "You- You've got it all wrong, Ulquiorra!"

"Wrong? I don't think so," Ulquiorra scoffed. "You've used me and you now have Kurosaki. Don't you get it? I don't want to have anything to do with you anymore."

"What? No!" Grimmjow grabbed at Ulquiorra's hands desperately. Ulquiorra seemed to have misread the situation. He did not use Ulquiorra. He… he had meant everything that he had done that night. And he did not have Kurosaki. He had made it perfectly clear to Ichigo that he did not want to take their friendship any further. But Grimmjow did not blame Ulquiorra for thinking this way. He _had_ left after all. And that was a stupid thing for him to do. "Please let me explain!"

"There is nothing to explain." Ulquiorra's voice was hard. "Let go of me, Grimmjow! My train is leaving soon. Nothing you say will make any difference."

Ulquiorra was right in front of him yet Grimmjow felt that with each passing moment, the emerald eyed teen was slipping from his grasp. No matter how tightly Grimmjow held onto Ulquiorra's hands, Ulquiorra felt so far away from him.

Without warning, Grimmjow pulled the pale teen into his arms, making Ulquiorra cry out, holding onto him for dear life. Ulquiorra struggled in his arms but he stopped when Grimmjow finally spoke, "Ulquiorra… I… I don't want you to leave. Because… Because." Grimmjow closed his eyes, hugging the small body against his, never wanting to let go. "Because I love you."

Ulquiorra's eyes widened and he felt like he had stopped breathing all together. He clutched at the teal haired teen's shirt, taking in Grimmjow's familiar scent, unable to believe what he had just heard.

Did Grimmjow just say that he loved him?

He had been wanting to hear those words come out of Grimmjow's mouth for so long. He had wanted Grimmjow to love him just as much as he loved him. But now that those words have passed Grimmjow's lips, Ulquiorra could not help but feel that-

It was just too good to be true.

This just had to be some fucked up lie that Grimmjow was using to mess with his head. And that fact hurt so much that hot tears sprung up to Ulquiorra's eyes. He could not believe it. He had promised himself that he would not waste anymore tears on Grimmjow, yet here he was, crying as though that self made promise never existed. This sort of behaviour was… unacceptable. Crying never did anyone any good. And what if Grimmjow was just saying this so that he would be able to use Ulquiorra again and abandon him just as he had done before?

"_I just want to spend the day with you." He leaned in and hugged his father tighter. "I love you, daddy." Ulquiorra said it with such honesty that Aizen stiffened._

_Some emotion flit through brown eyes but Aizen shook his head and pushed Ulquiorra away. "I'm busy," he said coldly._

All of these years… Since he was a child, he had been abandoned.

_Aizen was supposed to pick him up right about now. He had told his father that he was going to have soccer practice today after school. And so Ulquiorra waited for his father. And waited. And waited. Day light soon turned to dark and Ulquiorra Cifer was still waiting faithfully for his father on the steps, shivering. It had started to rain._

_In the end, Ulquiorra walked back home in the rain, all alone with nothing but the light from streetlights to show him the way through the darkness._

He had always been the little boy that stood outside the door of someone's heart, only to have it shut in his face.

"_Dad, where are you going?" Ulquiorra repeated, when Aizen got into the car and began to back out of the driveway._

"_Away. I will be back soon," was Aizen's short reply, not even looking at his son in the eye as he said it, but Ulquiorra knew it was a lie. There was something in his father's tone that he did not trust. There was something different, and it made Ulquiorra's heart race. It made him feel uneasy. Even though his father was right in front of him, Ulquiorra never felt as far away from the man as he did at this very moment. And then Aizen was gone, leaving Ulquiorra in his wake._

_Ulquiorra returned into the house. The place, if possible, felt even emptier than before._

Time and time again, without fail, Ulquiorra learned what it was like to fall without anyone there to catch him.

_Little Ulquiorra was crying under a tree in front of school. Sometimes when things were just too hard for him to bear, he would let his emotions spill out through tears. Today he had been bullied by some seniors because of his size and oversized clothes. Their cruel words still rang in his ears. Because he was constantly being bullied, no one wanted to be friends with him. No one wanted to become their victims as well._

"_What's your name?"_

_Startled, Ulquiorra raised his head from between his legs. No one had ever spoken to him before. Least of all with a gentle tone._

_Rubbing at his large emerald orbs, Ulquiorra said, "Ul- Ulquiorra."_

"_Ulquiorra." The pink haired boy smiled. He held his hand out, which Ulquiorra shook. "My name is Szayel." He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to Ulquiorra. "Now stop crying. It's not a good look on you. You should smile more, Ulquiorra."_

He had always been the little boy that everyone pitied.

"_Hey, Emo Kid! You look like a fucking fag!" a boy in the skins team yelled. "You can't kick to save your life!"_

That everyone alienated and made fun of.

_Grimmjow stabbed his thumb at the picture. "Where are your parents? They at work?" He had suddenly realized that Ulquiorra's place seemed strangely quiet._

"_I don't have any parents. I live alone."_

_Grimmjow looked over his shoulder, alarmed. Oh, shit. He had just said the wrong thing, didn't he? He expected to see a fuming Ulquiorra standing behind him, instead, he saw the same old stoic Ulquiorra but his eyes betrayed some sadness in them. "I'm sorry," was all Grimmjow managed to choke out._

"_It's okay." No, it was not okay. "My mother passed away giving birth to me. My dad left me years ago." Ulquiorra looked away. Why was he telling Grimmjow all of this? This was all private stuff. Only Szayel knew about this. But somehow, telling Grimmjow seemed right. "The only relatives I have now are my grandparents and they live all the way in the country. They send me money every month. It's not too bad." Ulquiorra shrugged. Why can't he keep his big mouth shut? "I like living alone."_

_Grimmjow stared at him._

And that little boy still existed, no matter how hard Ulquiorra tried to bury him deep inside of himself.

Ulquiorra clung onto Grimmjow's shirt, taking in the teal haired teen's scent for one last time, memorizing how his body felt against his, wanting so much for those words to be true. But from his experience in life, he would always be the one left behind. No matter how much he wanted to stay here in Grimmjow's arms along with the feeling of security that it gave him… The truth was, giving yourself to another makes you vulnerable. And Ulquiorra did not want to be vulnerable. This time, this time he was not going to be the one that was to be left behind.

Grimmjow knew that something was wrong when Ulquiorra did not respond. And then he heard it. The slender teen's body shook as sobs racked throughout his small body. Grimmjow patted Ulquiorra's hair, running his fingers through silken raven locks, trying to calm Cifer down but it did not do any good. This was not supposed to happen. Ulquiorra was not supposed to cry. Anything but that. Anything but this. Ulquiorra was trying to say something but could not through the sobs. When he was finally able to calm down enough to speak properly, his words cut through Grimmjow like a cold blade.

"Liar," Ulquiorra whispered into Grimmjow's chest.

Even though Ulquiorra had whispered it, Grimmjow heard it. That hurt more than anything. Because Grimmjow was not lying. He had meant every word that he had said.

"Ulquiorra… Ulquiorra, I'm not lying!" Grimmjow managed. He grabbed hold of Ulquiorra's shoulders and made him look at him. "Look me in the eye and tell me that I am lying."

Ulquiorra raised his eyes slowly to meet his cerulean ones.

Silence.

And then, Ulquiorra spoke, his voice soft yet it was incredibly clear to Grimmjow's ears.

"Liar."

Grimmjow blinked.

"What?" he choked out.

"You heard me," Ulquiorra said vehemently. "I don't believe you. Now let me go!" He struggled to get out of Grimmjow's grasp.

"No. That can't be true." Grimmjow could not believe it. He still did not let Ulquiorra go. Ulquiorra was slipping away. Farther and farther away. Grimmjow had tried reaching out to him but it seemed that Ulquiorra was already too far away. "Ulquiorra. No. I'm not lying. Don't do this. You've got to believe me!"

"I. Don't. Believe. You."

Every word was like a slap to the face.

"Ulquiorra-"

"Everything was a lie, wasn't it?"

"No! I swear that I'm not-"

"Let me go, Grimmjow! My train has arrived. I'm _not_ going to say it again!"

Indeed it had. The train had just come to a stop and its doors were beginning to open to admit its passengers in. People had begun to pick up their suitcases and were walking towards the train, chattering away as they did so. Grimmjow could not let Ulquiorra board the train.

"No! You can't go! Ulquiorra-"

That was when it happened. Ulquiorra, in his own desperation to get away from Grimmjow, away from temptation, had pulled his fist back and punched Grimmjow in the face.

Ulquiorra watched as Grimmjow staggered backwards, his hands flying to his face as blood flew. Ulquiorra had broken his nose.

Ulquiorra was breathing hard, his heart beating fast, unable to believe what he had just done. But it had done the trick. Ulquiorra turned on his heels, intending to board the train when he felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around his waist. The emerald eyed teen could hardly believe that all of this was happening. After all of that, Grimmjow _still_ wanted him to stay? Ulquiorra tightened his grip on his suitcase as he stared ahead resolutely. He refused to look at Grimmjow.

"Ulquiorra…" Grimmjow buried his face in raven hair. He understood why Ulquiorra was acting this way. From the moment he saw the look in Ulquiorra's eyes when he had lashed out at Grimmjow just now, he knew. Ulquiorra was afraid. Afraid of him. He lashed out because he did not want to be hurt again. Ulquiorra was so beautiful, yet broken. And it was all his fault. Tears leaked out of cerulean eyes, running down his face, his body shaking slightly. Grimmjow held onto Ulquiorra tight. He was so small and fragile in his arms. Somehow, he knew that this would be the last time he would be able to hold Ulquiorra again this way. It was ironic that someone so small could be so big in Grimmjow's life. Grimmjow's heart was breaking… and Ulquiorra's was already broken. "I understand why you are angry with me. I know I am stupid. And because of that I have-"

"Save it, Jaegerjaquez," he heard Ulquiorra say. "Now let me go. People are beginning to stare."

And he was right. People were beginning to cast them strange looks their way. Some were whispering to one another, shaking their heads in disapproval as they frowned at them.

Some of his tears dripped onto Ulquiorra's shoulder. So this was it, huh?

"Ulquiorra." Grimmjow bit his bottom lip. "I'm sorry for hurting you."

"It's over, Grimmjow," Ulquiorra said, his voice soft.

And with that, the teal haired teen released Ulquiorra from his grasp, letting his arms fall limply to his sides. He knew that it was no use. Ulquiorra had made up his mind.

"Oh and one last thing. Here. You can have this back." Ulquiorra fished for something in his pocket and pulled a device from it. He pushed it into Grimmjow's hands and looked into Grimmjow's eyes, sadness and tears ever present in emerald orbs. And with that, Ulquiorra turned on his heel and walked away.

Tears filling his eyes and blurring his vision, Grimmjow opened his hands.

It was his cell phone.

"Hey, Grimmjow! I couldn't find him anywhere! I- ohhh." Nnoitra had appeared by his side but once he saw the look on Grimmjow's face and Ulquiorra's retreating back, he knew that everything did not go well. Nnoitra gripped Grimmjow's shoulder sympathetically. "Come on. Let's get you home and get you cleaned up," Nnoitra said.

Grimmjow nodded numbly and allowed Nnoitra to lead him back to the car.

He had lost the man that he loved.

* * *

Ulquiorra sat back in his seat and watched as Nnoitra led Grimmjow out. Then he leaned his head back and allowed his tears to flow down his face. That was the hardest decision that he had ever had to make. He clutched at his chest. Was this what being broken hearted felt like? Throughout this whole ordeal, Ulquiorra learned one thing. And that was;

_Fairy tales are not true. Because not every story has a happy ending._


	14. Chapter Fourteen

"Ichigo is quiet nowadays, don't you think so?"

Rukia did not answer. Instead, she chose to focus all of her attention on poking a straw into a box of juice she had just bought. She knew where this conversation was headed and she was not all that eager to talk about it. So when Renji took the hint and fell silent, she was grateful. They were by the lockers in the hallway, waiting for their next class. Students walked past them, all chattering away and laughing with their friends. The petite teen sighed before taking a sip of juice. Ever since that day Jaegerjaquez came to Ichigo's house, the orange haired teen had been quite withdrawn. He would always walk around looking rather lost. Rukia could at least tell that he was not sad. She had known him for far too long to know whether the orange haired teen was sad by just looking at him. And she always knew exactly what to do to cheer him up whenever he was sad. This, however, was different.

For the first time in her life, she did not know what to do about it.

It was like Ichigo was finding something, or someone, but he just did not know what. Rukia looked at Ichigo out of the corner of her eye, her heart beating faster when she caught sight of him. He was quite a distance away, leaning against his locker, a pensive look on his face. With his orange hair, he was easy enough to spot amongst the crowd.

"Why don't you go talk to him?"

"What?" Rukia said, snapping her eyes onto Renji. "Why?"

"Because." A lazy grin made itself onto Abarai Renji's face. "You obviously like him."

"I do _not_," she denied heatedly, her face colouring.

This response only served to cause the annoying grin on Renji's face to stretch even further. It was obvious that he was enjoying the discomfort that he was causing her. "Oh, yes, you do."

Rukia's face was so red, it was the colour of Renji's hair. Oh dear God. This was so embarrassing. She knew that the day Renji had caught her blushing like the schoolgirl she was when Ichigo accidentally touched her hand would be the end of her. She turned her face away from Renji's. "Shut up, Renji," she muttered, embarrassed. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"I think I do. In fact…" The mischievous tone in his voice made her look up at him. She did not like that glint of mischief that he had in his eyes. "Why don't you go tell him about your feelings now? He's coming this way."

"What?" Rukia said incredulously. She turned to the direction that Renji was looking at, and saw that he was right. Ichigo Kurosaki was heading right this way. He had his hand in his pocket while he carried some books under his other arm. By the looks of the vacant look in his warm brown eyes, he was not paying attention to where he was going. "I'm not going to suddenly go up to him. Besides, I don't even know what to say to him!" she protested.

"I'll help with that," Renji said, smirking.

The next thing she knew, she felt herself being pushed forward towards Ichigo's direction. It all happened as though in slow motion; her yelling out as she got closer to Ichigo who turned his surprised brown eyes on her, her box of juice flying out of her hand, her tripping over her feet, and finally, her running smack into the orange haired teen, making them both fall to the floor, and of all things, her lips landed on Ichigo's in an accidental kiss. Oh my God. Rukia stiffened, her hands were on Ichigo's chest, her body pressed against his. She could feel Ichigo's hands on her waist in his failed attempt to catch her from falling. At the realization of the contact and how intimately he was holding her, a blush grew on her face.

After what felt like an eternity, Rukia lifted her lips from Ichigo's, her eyes wide with horror.

"Rukia?" Ichigo gasped, his eyes wide as though he was _seeing_ her for the first time.

She wanted to die on the spot.

* * *

It was weeks since the day Ulquiorra had left. Grimmjow let out a breath that he had been holding in. Even with the absence of the emerald eyed teen, he could still feel Cifer's presence. Maybe this was what people meant when they say that if a person is special to you, you carry a piece of them with you? When he first heard it, he thought that it was all just a load of bullshit. But now that Ulquiorra was gone, he understood what it meant.

Whenever he looked at the empty desk where Ulquiorra sat in class, he would remember how the raven haired teen would usually have his nose in a book, studying. Whenever Grimmjow passed by the tree outside of school, he would remember all of the times that they spent there talking, spending time together and sometimes, just doing absolutely nothing. Everywhere he went, there seemed to be something there that connected him to Ulquiorra. It was like Ulquiorra was still there with him. Except…

That was fake. Wasn't it?

In reality, Ulquiorra was not there.

All of these things were just in his head.

Nnoitra had tried to cheer him up, but to no avail. Grimmjow remained quite withdrawn. He had tried finding out about where Ulquiorra's grandparents lived but his attempts proved fruitless. Ulquiorra did not tell anyone where they lived. It was like he did not want anyone to find him. But even if Grimmjow did find out where they lived, Ulquiorra had made it very clear that he wanted nothing to do with the teal haired teen. The day he had gotten on that train was the day he had cut off all of his connections with Jaegerjaquez. If he went after Ulquiorra, what then? He was the last person who wanted to make Ulquiorra do anything that he did not want to. If Ulquiorra did not want Grimmjow, that was fine. But he wanted to at least tell Ulquiorra, make it clear to him that he was not using him. He wanted Ulquiorra to hear him out.

But with Ulquiorra gone, he could not do that. All he could do right now was to wait for the raven haired teen to return. It had been weeks, and Grimmjow was beginning to lose hope. What if Ulquiorra never wanted to come back?

Grimmjow fingered the box of cigarettes that he kept in his pocket.

He had been carrying it around with him since Ulquiorra left. It had always been a habit of his to smoke whenever he felt particularly stressed. Ever since he met Ulquiorra, he had long put a stop to the habit. But with Ulquiorra gone, it felt like there was a weight in his heart. Grimmjow pulled out the box, rubbing his thumb over it, tempted.

_"First, no smoking." Ulquiorra snatched the cigarette out of Grimmjow's mouth and snuffed it out._

_"Hey!"_

_"It's a disgusting habit and it gives people a bad impression of you. So no smoking," Ulquiorra said shortly. "Second, talk." He got up and shoved Grimmjow in Ichigo's direction, taking the teal haired man by surprise._

Grimmjow smiled sadly at the memory. He walked over to the dustbin and dropped the box of cigarettes into it.

"So what, now you're gonna buy yourself another box?" came a snide voice.

Cerulean eyes snapped to focus, a scowl making its way onto Grimmjow's handsome face. "Szayel," he said dangerously.

"You're pathetic, Jaegerjaquez." Szayel smirked.

Grimmjow glared at the pink haired teen. How was it that from one second Grantz could be nice to him and then the next, he returned to treating Grimmjow with contempt? It was like that that one moment of understanding they had shared never happened. At first, Grimmjow ignored him and tried to tell himself that Szayel was just angry that Grimmjow was the reason Ulquiorra was gone. But then he remembered the day that Szayel had gone psycho on him. That was right. Szayel was in love with Ulquiorra too, wasn't he? But even then, Grimmjow could feel his patience wearing thin.

"Watch who you're calling pathetic, Szayel," Grimmjow said darkly. He was not in the mood for any of Szayel's shit today.

"Oh?" The tone in Szayel's voice was almost amused. "Is that a threat, Grimmjow? You're even stupider than I thought."

"Piss off."

"Now why would I do that?"

Grimmjow balled his fists, trying to contain his anger. If Szayel was not going to shut up-

"You're pathetic."

That did it.

A second later, Grimmjow had tackled the infuriating teen to the ground, his hand fisted in Szayel's shirt while his other hand was pulled back into a fist, ready to knock Szayel out cold. Amber eyes stared up at him in hatred, daring him. A growl resounded in Grimmjow's throat. "Why the FUCK are you acting like such an asshole, nowadays?" Grimmjow snarled, his grip on Szayel's shirt tightening.

"Because you're pathetic!" Szayel bit back viciously. "You think that you can just walk in on people's lives and-"

"Yeah, you just keep on talking, Grantz!" Grimmjow pulled back his fist.

"Hey, hey, hey! Cut it out! The both of you!"

Before Grimmjow could even land a punch on the pink haired teen, he felt someone pull him off of Szayel, separating the two furious teens before the fight could escalate.

"The hell?" Grimmjow exclaimed. He looked over his shoulder and saw that it was Nnoitra who had pulled Grimmjow away from Szayel. "Nnoitra. Let me go!" Grimmjow struggled, but Nnoitra only tightened his hold on him. Fuck. He had forgotten how much stronger the lanky teen was. "I'm not done with him yet!"

"You're done," Nnoitra said firmly. "What the hell is wrong with you two knuckleheads? Can't you two just get along for a minute?"

"It's not my fault that he's such a fucktard!"

"Enough, Grimmjow," Nnoitra snapped. "You're creating a scene."

Indeed, everyone in the classroom had gathered around them, staring. They all stared from Szayel to Grimmjow, the air thick with tension. Szayel was glaring at Grimmjow maliciously from where he lay on the ground, his face set into a deep frown. Grimmjow really wanted to hit him then. Nnoitra let go of Grimmjow's arms and laid his hand on the teal haired teen's shoulder. "Let it go," was all Nnoitra said. "It ain't worth it."

Szayel had gotten up now. He was dusting his clothes and smirked at Grimmjow before exiting from the classroom. What the hell was up with that bitch? "Tch. Fine." Grimmjow tore his cerulean eyes from the pink haired teen's retreating back, his anger slowly ebbing away.

"Come on. Let's get outta here and do something fun. School's out anyways." He could feel Nnoitra's grip on his shoulder tighten and then the lanky teen guided him out of the classroom.

"Oh? Like what?" Grimmjow said moodily.

"Like getting a tattoo." Nnoitra grinned.

And that was how Grimmjow found himself in a tattoo parlour with Nnoitra. The teal haired teen leaned against his seat, waiting for his turn. These past few weeks his friends had been doing all sorts of things to cheer him up.

The girls had baked cupcakes for him. Nnoitra had offered to bring him to a strip club, which Grimmjow promptly turned down. Harribel and Neliel seemed to have taken upon themselves to give him a "make over". They claimed that girls usually changed their looks after a bad break up, and that it helped, in a way. Grimmjow had tried pointing out to them that he was not a girl, but they were quite adamant in getting their way. And so Grimmjow just let them do what they wanted to do, just to make them shut up. They saw that there was not much about Grimmjow that they could change since he looked perfectly fine the way he was. But then they noticed what "pretty eyes" he had, and the next thing he knew, they had pulled out blue eye shadow, dabbed an application stick in it and ran it along the side of his eyes.

Grimmjow had tried rubbing it out, but was met with a whack upside the head by Harribel. Damn. That woman sure can hit. So to get them off his back, Grimmjow applied the damned thing every single day. He had to admit, it did not look too bad. It just felt weird.

"I don't know why the hell I'm agreeing to this," Grimmjow grumbled. "I don't even know what tattoo I want. Heck, I don't even _want_ a tattoo."

"Aww, don't be that way, Grimmkitty. It'll be fun," Nnoitra said cheerily. "How about you get a 'G' for a tattoo? The first initial to your name." He flipped open the book of tattoo designs that the tattoo parlour had provided them with. He stabbed a finger at a gothic 'G', shoving the book in Grimmjow's face. "It looks cool, huh?"

"Fine. Whatever." Grimmjow grunted, pushing the book away. Then, he noticed something. He straightened up in his seat. "Hey, where's Harribel?"

"What're you talking about?" Nnoitra said absently as he flipped through the pages of the book.

"Harribel. You know, that busty blonde you've been going out with. You guys are usually inseperable."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play with me." Grimmjow glowered at Nnoitra. Then, understanding dawned on him and he groaned out. "Oh, God, Nnoitra. Not _again_. When did you dump her?"

"Uhh… Not too long ago."

"When was that?"

Luckily, Nnoitra was spared from answering when the man at the counter called out, "Mr. Jaegerjaquez. It's your turn."

"We'll talk about this later," Grimmjow hissed, shuffling towards the counter with Nnoitra following him behind. Nnoitra nodded numbly in response. When they reached the counter, the man behind it smiled.

"So have you chosen what tattoo design you want, Mr. Jaegerjaquez?" the man asked.

"Yeah. He wants this one." Nnoitra pulled out the book once more and opened it to the page where the gothic 'G' was located. He stabbed a finger at the picture of the 'G'. "This one."

The man took the book and looked at Grimmjow's or rather, Nnoitra's choice and nodded. "Excellent choice. Right this way, Mr. Jaegerjaquez."

* * *

An hour later, Grimmjow found himself back at home in his room, his lower back sore and slightly red. He winced. That was the last time he was going to let Nnoitra convince him into getting a tattoo. It did not help him at all. If anything, it added to his already foul mood. Grimmjow fell back onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling, his face softening to one of sadness, the pain from the tattoo forgotten. His room was slightly messy, a far cry from Ulquiorra's room, which the raven haired teen had kept impossibly neat. It was during these times when he was alone that he was left to his own thoughts. He wondered what Ulquiorra was doing.

Was he also lying on a bed at his grandparents' place, thinking about Grimmjow, missing him? Did he spare a thought for Grimmjow at all? Did he still hate him? Or had Ulquiorra already moved on?

Grimmjow bit his bottom lip. He had gone through this same thought process many times but he had never confided in his friends about it. And now, he felt like he needed someone to guide him. Someone to talk to. To tell him what to do. Nnoitra was a great friend, but he did not know what to do. Szayel hated him. Harribel appeared to have her own problems to deal with now that Nnoitra had left her. Neliel was constantly busy studying. Everyone had their own thing going on.

_Knock, knock, knock._

"Grimmy Honey, are you in there?"

"Yeah, Mum," Grimmjow called out. He sat up as his mother stepped in, a worried look on her beautiful face. Grimmjow made a face. "I thought I told you not to call me that anymore."

His mother approached him and sat on the bed next to him. She had been worried about her son. Lately, he had been very quiet, which was so unlike him. Usually, he was quite loud and would always get angry whenever his father teased him and called him a kitty cat, which was how Nnoitra had come to coin the name "Grimmkitty" for him. But now, whenever his father teased him, Grimmjow would just keep quiet. "Is there something bothering my lil' baby?" his mother cooed, stroking Grimmjow's teal hair.

"Aww, ma…!" Grimmjow whined, embarrassed, trying to dodge his mother's hand, but to no avail. The woman was simply impossible to avoid. Plus, she had pulled him into a bone breaking hug, his face stuck firmly in her large chest. "Mum, let go of me!" Grimmjow gasped, his face red from the lack of oxygen. He struggled, but his mother only tightened her grip on him, cooing, "Don't be sad, Grimmy. Mummy's here to comfort you!" She nuzzled her nose into her son's teal hair.

"Rangiku, stop it. Yer choking him."

Rangiku pouted at her husband who had just appeared by the door way. "But, Ginnnnnnn," she whined, pulling her son even closer. "Grimmy is sad."

"He's sad now, but if ya keep on hugging him like that, he's going to die."

Rangiku looked from Gin to her struggling son, then sighed. "Fine," she said reluctantly, releasing Grimmjow from her hug of death.

Grimmjow fell onto the bed, gasping for air, his teal hair a mess. He loved his mother, but her hugs could really kill. Once he had managed to get his breath back, he noticed that his mother was looking at him through concerned blue eyes.

"Grimmjow, what's wrong?" Rangiku asked gently, stroking Grimmjow's hair once more.

The teal haired teen looked down at the bed, biting his bottom lip. Should he tell his mother? He _did_ need someone to talk to and his mother had been in a hell of a lot of relationships before marrying Gin. So she would know something, right?

"Grimmy?"

Grimmjow hesitated. Taking a deep breath, he cast his cerulean eyes on Rangiku and said, "Mum, what do you do when you do something bad to someone without meaning to and that person doesn't wanna talk to you anymore?"

"What, did ya get someone pregnant?"

"Gin!" Rangiku snapped, glaring at her playful husband who had appeared by her shoulder.

The silver haired man pouted. "What? Maybe he did." He turned his gaze on Grimmjow. "So… did ya get anyone pregnant?"

"Gin, that is NOT funny!" Rangiku warned.

"Why ELSE would he be miserable? Knocking someone up is enough to get any boy down."

Rangiku could feel her eye twitch. "Our son did not-"

"I didn't get anyone pregnant," Grimmjow said, stopping his parents' little squabble.

"Hah!" Rangiku said triumphantly. "See? Grimmy didn't get anyone pregnant-"

"But I did sleep with someone," he said.

"WHAT?"

Even his father had not expected that, because he did not make his usual teasing comeback. For once in his life, the silver haired man shut up. His parents stared at him through wide eyes, their mouths hanging open, speechless. They knew that they had told their son that he could come and talk to them about anything, but_ damn_. When they had said it, they expected their son to come to them about homework or puberty. They did _not _need to know that their son was active.

They had hoped that the day that Grimmjow started having sex was when Grimmjow was really, really old and when they were really, really dead.

"Good joke, Grimmy-chan. Ha ha…?" Gin laughed weakly.

Grimmjow shook his head sadly. "I'm not joking, Dad. I _did_ sleep with someone."

Rangiku blinked slowly, as though seeing her son for the first time and once she had gotten over the shock, she cleared her throat. She stopped stroking her son's hair and let her hand fall to her side, her expression thoughtful. "Well," she said slowly, "If that person truly cares about you, she'll come to forgive you. She'll forgive you, Grimmy. Don't you worry." She tilted her head, smiling.

"Uhh… Mum?"

"Yes, Honey?"

The teal haired teen cringed slightly at the nickname. "It's not 'she'… It's a 'he'."

"WHAT?" Rangiku's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "WHO?"

"Ulquiorra Cifer," Grimmjow said quietly.

"You mean the kid who has been tutoring you all this time?"

Grimmjow nodded.

"The one you've been spending so much time with?"

Nod.

"The one you've been sleeping over at his house with?"

Nod.

Gin piped up, "The one ya think has a cute butt?"

Nod- "HEY!" Grimmjow yelled, his face red.

Gin shrugged. "What? It's true, isn't it? I came across that message when I was going through yer cell phone."

"That's a total invasion of privacy!" Grimmjow turned crimson. Aw, crap. He had forgotten that his father had no qualms over going through his things. Keeping anything a secret from the man was nearly impossible.

Rangiku, sensing that Grimmjow and Gin would start fighting if she did not intervene, spoke. "Come on, Gin. We should leave Grimmy alone. I think he needs some time for himself." She stood up and gestured Gin to follow her out of the room. Before she did that, though, she laid a hand on Grimmjow's shoulder. "Don't worry, Grimmy. Things may look bad now, but it'll get better… Eventually." And with that, she left the room with Gin in tow. Not without having Gin call out, "Make sure ya use protection the next time ya do it with- OW!" first though, followed with a tight slap from his wife.

Grimmjow sighed with relief. Even though telling his parents that piece of information was somewhat awkward, it did make him feel much better about his situation after his mother comforted him. Even though she had probably said those things for him, rather than knowing that they were true, it made him feel better to know that his parents still supported him.

Looking out of the window, the teal haired teen saw that the sun was about to set. A sad smile came to his lips. During one of their many tutoring sessions, Ulquiorra would always look out of the window to watch the sun set, his doll-like serene and his emerald eyes shining. It occurred to Grimmjow that even though Ulquiorra would rather die than to admit it because he would be met with endless teasing from Grimmjow, the raven haired teen was actually quite romantic at heart. Ulquiorra was beautiful and carried an air of dignity and mystery about him. But Grimmjow was able to understand him. Yet how he could not see what had been in front of his eyes the whole time, he did not know.

_Things will get better eh?_ Grimmjow thought bitterly.

Well, he had better get some rest. He was exhausted. Plus, his final exams were going to be held tomorrow and he wanted to do well in them. He moved on the bed to make himself more comfortable, the slight pain in his lower back reminding him of what he had done not long ago. Standing up from his bed, he walked towards the mirror. He might as well take a look at his new tattoo now. Grimmjow pulled his shirt slowly over his head, turned around so that his back was facing the mirror and looked over his shoulder. And saw, to his horror, not a gothic G emblazoned on his skin but a large, gothic number 6.

"NNOITRA…….!"

* * *

WHACK!

"OW!" Nnoitra yelped, nursing the spot where Grimmjow had hit him. "What was THAT for?"

"This!" Grimmjow hissed. Turning around, he lifted his shirt, exposing the number 6 on his back, ignoring the gasps that came from a group of girls upon seeing his lean and muscled body. "This ain't a G! It's a fucking SIX!"

Nnoitra blinked, his eyes fixed on the large gothic number 6 emblazoned on Grimmjow's lower back. "Uhhh… Oops?" Nnoitra scratched the back of his neck, hoping that Grimmjow was going to take pity on him and not beat the crap out of him. Grimmjow had already pulled his shirt back down and was now facing Nnoitra, his handsome face set in a scowl. He could already see a vein pulsing in Grimmjow's temple.

"This damned thing is permanent, Nnoitra! What am I supposed to do? This looks fucking RIDICULOUS."

"How was I supposed to know that the 6 looked like a G upside down?" Nnoitra tried to defend himself.

Grimmjow could feel his eye twitch. "What the hell were you doing looking at the book upside down anyways? You-" Grimmjow face palmed, feeling a headache coming on. "Arghh. Never mind…" he said moodily. It was no use getting pissed off at Nnoitra. It was not like it would help make the damned tattoo disappear anyways. The teal haired teen scanned the hallway. Everyone else had their noses buried in their books to do some last minute studying as they stood in line outside of a large classroom. The tension in the air was unmistakable. He caught sight of Szayel, who, upon seeing him, sent a death glare in his direction and returned to studying. Bitch.

"So…" Nnoitra began when he sensed that it was safe to talk again without having Grimmjow punch him in the arm again. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Grimmjow said. He opened his Chemistry text book, flicking through the pages, not really reading it. Chemistry was their first paper and even though he had read the text book back to front countless of times before and memorized its contents, holding it in his hands calmed his nerves somewhat.

"Heh. I don't know how you can wade through that shit," Nnoitra commented, stretching his arms over his head as he yawned widely.

Grimmjow ignored him. He did not like the subject any more than Nnoitra did, but he did not want to flunk either. His parents may be more lenient than most, but even they drew the line at failing in school. Plus, Ulquiorra had spent so much time teaching him all of this, he did not want it all to go to waste. If anyone else had tutored him, he would not have given a shit about it, but this was Ulquiorra. After a few more minutes of flipping through the pages and not really taking anything in, he closed the book with a sigh and looked at his watch. Ten more minutes till their exam was going to begin. Mr. Urahara should be calling them into class any time now.

Sure enough, the blonde man came out of the classroom after setting all of the exam papers on everyone's desk and called out, "Everyone, get in. It's almost time to begin."

Silently, everyone returned their text books into their bags and walked into the classroom, ready to take the exam. His hand in his pocket, Grimmjow followed, his lips set in a thin line, and nearly fell when someone accidentally bumped into him.

"Hey, watch it!" Grimmjow yelled out in surprise. Turning to see who had pushed him, cerulean eyes widened slightly as they locked onto warm brown ones, his expression softening. "Ichigo?"

"Hey," Ichigo said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry about that. It was an accident."

"It's alright," Grimmjow responded.

Both teens did not seem to want to continue the conversation. Things were still pretty tense after what had happened last time and this was the first time they had spoken to each other since it happened. Not because Grimmjow had any feelings for the orange haired teen but after what had transpired between the two of them, he was not sure how to act around Kurosaki. He was not sure whether it was acceptable to act as though nothing had happened or to treat Kurosaki like he had done before. The former could be interpreted as him being a jerk whereas the latter could be interpreted as him still having feelings for Ichigo. And he did _not_ want to send any more mixed messages to the orange haired teen.

As cruel as it sounded, the moment he locked eyes with Kurosaki, he knew that he had made the right decision. Kurosaki must have felt the same thing as well because there was no sign of bitterness or sadness in those brown eyes. Just… acceptance.

That did not make this any less awkward, though.

"Well… Good luck then, Grimmjow." Ichigo attempted to break the tension.

"Yeah, you too," Grimmjow said, forcing a smile. Damn, this was awkward. "I'll… see you around, then."

"I guess so. See you." A lie.

And then they parted, both of them going to their respective tables and listened to Mr. Urahara as he read out the usual rules.

"Now that you're all seated, please note that anyone caught cheating will be punished. This is your objective paper so you must blacken your answer in one of the bubbles in the answer sheet given to you. Please make sure you use only pencil doing this. Instructions are all on the front page of the question booklet. Now, begin," Urahara said.

Grimmjow quickly read the instructions and then opened the booklet, eager to get it over and done with. When he saw the first question, he stared at the paper blankly.

He could not believe it.

He had plain forgotten everything!

Grimmjow bit his bottom lip, panic rising within him, tapping his pencil on the table nervously. Fuck. He could not blank out now. This was his finals! He could not fail. What would Ulquiorra say if he found out he had done badly?

_Ulquiorra looked down at Grimmjow, his arms crossed across his chest. "You idiot."_

Yeap. That was _exactly _what Ulquiorra would have said.

Breathing heavily, Grimmjow tried to calm down. Come on, think. He had studied this. He knew he had. But nothing came. He looked around and saw that everyone else were already writing down their answers, the sound of their pencils scratching on the paper surface incredibly clear to Grimmjow's ears. They did not seem to have any problem with the paper. Taking a deep breath, the teal haired teen returned his gaze on to his own paper. As he stared at the paper, Grimmjow's grip on the pencil slacked. How was he supposed to answer this?

_His pale tutor was looking over his work now, emerald eyes scanning the paper. He would speak up every now and then to tell Grimmjow about his mistakes and correct them. When they had first started studying together, Grimmjow's paper was full of red marks but now, the number of red marks had dwindled down significantly to one or two._

_"Here, Grimmjow," Ulquiorra pointed at one problem that Grimmjow had not been able to answer. "Do you have a problem with understanding this process?"_

_Grimmjow nodded tiredly. "Yeah. Can't seem to wrap my mind around it."_

_"It's really quite simple," Ulquiorra said, taking an empty piece of paper and began to draw a diagram on it. "To plate a spoon with silver…"_

_The teal haired teen listened intently. Unlike Urahara, Ulquiorra always made Chemistry seem interesting. And he also made the whole thing so much easier to understand. _

As the rest of the memory continued right up to the point Ulquiorra had finished explaining everything, Grimmjow's grip on his pencil tightened once more. Before he knew it, he was able to answer everything perfectly, his pencil dancing across the page as he answered every single question with ease and then blackening the bubbles in the answer sheet provided. Heh. Maybe this exam was not going to be so bad after all.

_Ulquiorra sighed for what must have been the tenth time that day. It was their first tutoring session and Grimmjow was getting everything wrong. "No, Grimmjow." He took the pencil from Grimmjow, their fingers brushing lightly against one another's as he did so. "Let me run this by you again…"_

Grimmjow was making good progress. He was already on his fifteenth question and he had no problem with any of the questions so far.

_The teal haired teen watched as Ulquiorra wrote everything down carefully on a piece of paper, his handwriting neat and the diagrams clear. "This is how electrolysis works."_

Grimmjow was so absorbed in answering all of the questions that he did not hear the door to the classroom swing open, with soft footsteps accompanying it. The person that had just entered the classroom walked towards the desk that Mr. Urahara was sitting behind. The blonde man raised an eyebrow upon seeing the latest person to arrive.

_"Aww, come on, Ulqui," Grimmjow whined. "We've been studying all day. I can't take it anymore."_

_Ulquiorra rolled his eyes. "Fine," he said reluctantly. "But we're going to have to go over this once more tomorrow."_

_"Sweet!" Grimmjow grinned. "You're the best, Ulqui!" he said, making the raven haired teen blush lightly_.

_"Don't be silly," Ulquiorra muttered, the blush incredibly obvious on his pale skin._

"I apologize for my lateness, Mr. Urahara."

The voice was male. It caught Grimmjow's attention, making him start and sit up slightly but he kept on writing. He did not want to lose any time answering the question paper. However, that voice made him lose his concentration slightly. He bit the end of his pencil nervously before blackening another bubble. He was having difficulty remembering the rest of what Ulquiorra had taught him but he was still able to manage.

_Grimmjow sat back in his chair as he went over the notes that Ulquiorra had written down for him after their latest tutoring session. Ulquiorra had tried to make everything as understandable as possible and Grimmjow had to say that it was working. This was the first time he was actually working hard on studying and he wanted to do well. He was not stupid but he was not the most brilliant student in class either. His marks were usually good or satisfactory with only his Chemistry marring his report card._

"It's alright. You can still take the exam but there will not be any time extensions for you, Ulquiorra."

_That_ made Grimmjow sit up.

"Thank you, Mr. Urahara. I will do my best."

Cerulean eyes widened. There was no mistaking it. He knew that voice. He knew exactly who it belonged to. But he dared not believe it. Slowly, Grimmjow lifted his gaze from the paper and looked up. And sure enough, his eyes met a familiar raven haired teen in front of the classroom, walking towards an empty seat located a few seats behind Grimmjow. He looked the same as ever, yet there was something different about him. The teal haired teen's mouth went dry, his heart pumping hard in his chest as the teen neared his seat, the slender teen's movements graceful.

But Ulquiorra walked right past him as though he did not exist.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

As soon as Ulquiorra was done with the last paper of the day, he immediately put his pen down, handed his paper to Mr. Urahara and excused himself from the room. There were many more who still were not done with their paper, and Ulquiorra was one of the few who had finished early. As expected, Ulquiorra had little to no difficulties in answering all of the questions.

Once outside, Ulquiorra immediately went to the men's toilet, taking care to make sure that no one was following him. It had been a long time since he had been in school. How long had it been? A month? A few weeks? He was lucky that Mr. Urahara was understanding. Ulquiorra sighed as he leaned over the sink, his raven hair falling into his eyes and his hands gripping the edges tightly. Everything was just like he remembered. The students, the building, everything.

He did not think that it would be this hard.

All this time since he had left, he had been trying so hard to forget. To push everything to the back of his mind. He had thought it worked, because from being a complete mess, he became calm and collected. And some may even say, cold. In short, he was back to his normal self before everything happened. Indifferent. With maybe even a little more harshness in his demeanour. Yes, he was a bit nervous about being back, but as soon as the thoughts surfaced, he immediately pushed them back and willed himself to walk into school. He was late, but he managed to maintain his composure. He did not speak to anyone, choosing to ignore them as stares and whispers followed him, not even bothering to greet the people that he knew.

He did not care. Of course people would talk. He had disappeared from school without so much as giving a reason. And then there was the fact that people noticed that he was much happier before he left, and now that he was back, he had returned to his normal self. It was like happiness had never touched those green orbs, and never will.

Ulquiorra raised his hand to push his hair out of his eyes. But that calm composure that he had worked so hard on to regain, all came crashing down the moment he stepped into the examination hall and saw that familiar patch of blue hair, the owner bent down over his paper in concentration. Grimmjow looked tired, but otherwise, the same as ever. After feeling numb for so long, a wave of emotions crashed over him, but just as quickly as it did, Ulquiorra immediately pulled on a facade of indifference. He may have looked calm, but when he walked past the blue haired teen, Ulquiorra was pretty shaken on the inside.

Ulquiorra gripped his hair, his breaths quickening as he stared down the sink. Did Grimmjow really have that much of an effect on him?

Even after all this time?

Every touch, every word spoken, every caress they shared... Ulquiorra remembered it all. He remembered the first time that they spoke to each other. They had hated each other at the time. He remembered the first kiss that they shared. They were each other's first kiss, which made it all the more special. He remembered every single memory that they had shared together. And he also remembered... Ulquiorra also remembered the hurt in cerulean eyes when he left him at the train station. When he walked past the teal haired teen without so much as a second glance. He had thought that seeing Grimmjow hurt would make him feel much better. An eye for an eye, right? He had wanted to see Grimmjow in pain, he wanted to see Grimmjow hurt, feel regret for everything that he put Ulquiorra through. But now that Ulquiorra had gotten his wish, he could not help thinking;

Why did it make him feel worse?

Ulquiorra lowered his head.

He had never felt so confused.

If only... If only...

"Ulquiorra?"

The raven haired teen froze. He had been so occupied with his thoughts that he had not heard the sound of the door being opened. Slowly, with his heart in his mouth, Ulquiorra turned around. And the first thing he saw was a pair of amber eyes. He let out a sigh of relief, though a part of him felt disappointed. Upon seeing Ulquiorra, however, amber eyes immediately turned to ones of concern, worry etched on to the owner's good looking face.

"Szayel?" Ulquiorra found himself saying.

What could he say? He was surprised. The emerald eyed teen stared at Aporro Grantz. Szayel looked the same as ever, but in Ulquiorra's eyes he looked like he was under a great deal of stress. Ulquiorra knew him well enough to know that his friend was hiding his pain just like Ulquiorra himself. Ulquiorra had not forgotten what happened during their last meeting. And the way he had reacted towards him. He had not expected to meet Szayel so early, but now that he did, he did not know what to say. Did... Ulquiorra dug his nails into the palms of his hands. Did Szayel hate him?

After what felt like an eternity, Szayel stepped forward, and as if by reflex, Ulquiorra squeezed his eyes shut, as though expecting the pink haired teen to hit him. Instead, Ulquiorra felt a warm hand cup his cheek. Shocked, Ulquiorra opened his eyes and saw his best friend's concerned face. He did not look angry at all.

Szayel frowned. "You've been crying," he said.

Indeed, he had been crying. Ulquiorra was suddenly aware of the wetness on his pale cheeks.

How long had he been crying?

"Szayel, I... I-" Ulquiorra's throat felt dry. The look of shock that crossed amber eyes when Ulquiorra had pulled himself out of his embrace during their last meeting flashed through Cifer's mind. Szayel looked so lost at the time, and Ulquiorra had just left him there. After years of friendship, was that really the way he should have treated Szayel? Ulquiorra hung his head. "I'm sorry."

But the pink haired teen merely shook his head. "No. You don't have to be sorry. It isn't your fault."

Slowly, Szayel pulled Ulquiorra into his arms, giving him what could only be called a comforting hug. The raven haired teen stiffened in his embrace, but soon relaxed. He allowed the smallest of smiles grace his pale lips. Of course. Even though no words were spoken, Ulquiorra knew that all was forgiven, and that everything was okay between them. The hug had, in a way, lessened the pain. Placing his chin on the pink haired teen's shoulder, he raised his arms and held the back of Szayel's shirt with his hands, returning his embrace. In turn, Szayel tightened his embrace on the smaller teen, closing his eyes as he took in Ulquiorra's scent.

"I'm the one who should be sorry," Szayel whispered into raven locks. "I'm sorry, Ulquiorra. I wasn't thinking." He placed his hand at the back of Ulquiorra's head, as though cradling him. "I'm so sorry." He gave a watery smile. "After all. Best friends forever, right?"

Tears slipped out of amber eyes. This may after all be the last time he would be able to hold Ulquiorra like this again. He was just happy that Ulquiorra did not push him away again. And that he was able to ease his pain somewhat. Standing there with Ulquiorra in his arms, he etched it into his memory. _This_ was how it felt to hold him. _This_ was how it felt to comfort him. _This_ was how it felt to ease his pain. More tears slipped out of amber eyes. He pulled Ulquiorra closer. _The last time_.

Unknown to Ulquiorra what was happening to Szayel, he continued to return the embrace, taking comfort from the embrace that Szayel offered to him. This was no time for tears. If Szayel could be strong, he had to be as well. Ulquiorra was going to pull through this.

No matter what, Ulquiorra had to be strong.

"Yes," Ulquiorra said softly, a soft smile playing on his lips, "Best friends forever."

* * *

Immediately after he finished his paper, Grimmjow set out to look for Ulquiorra. But he was nowhere to be found. The teal haired teen slammed his fist against the wall in frustration. Of course he could not find Ulquiorra.

Grimmjow smiled bitterly. How could he have been so stupid?

After all, Ulquiorra did not want to have anything to do with Grimmjow.

* * *

Grimmjow sighed. It had been over a week now since Ulquiorra returned and he was not able to talk to Ulquiorra at all. Cifer always seemed to arrive right on time for exams and he always finished his paper earlier than Grimmjow. Even if they did finish at the same time, the way Ulquiorra was avoiding him only further solidified his reasoning that Ulquiorra did not want anything to do with him. It drove Grimmjow crazy that Ulquiorra was so near, yet he always slipped out of his hands. He was beginning to think that he may not be able to even speak to Ulquiorra again if this kept up.

Grimmjow bit his bottom lip. He really should not be thinking about this. He still had one more paper to do before the finals were over. Till then, he must only focus on doing well. Giving his shoelaces a final knot, Grimmjow stood up and made his way downstairs, where he was immediately greeted by his mother.

"Grimmy Honey!"

Jaegerjaquez actually flinched at being called that. That God forsaken nickname would be the death of him.

"Yes, ma?" he called out.

"Come here, I want to talk to you," Rangiku said brightly.

Walking towards the source of his mother's voice, Grimmjow stepped into the kitchen. Rangiku was wearing an apron, and she was serving Gin breakfast. It was a pretty normal scene in this household; his parents were weird at times, but they were loving. What disturbed him though was the way that his mother was looking at him. Nor did he like the way his father was smiling at him. Uh-oh. _This can't be good._

"Grimmy Honey, you're going to school, right?" she said sweetly.

Why did he have a sense of foreboding at the pit of his stomach?

"Yes..." Grimmjow answered carefully. "Why...?"

Rangiku's face immediately broke into a smile. "Oh, good. That means you can take your brother to school."

Grimmjow nearly fainted. "My brother?"

"Yes, your little brother," she said cheerfully without missing a beat. "Gin can't send him because he has to go to work right after this. Besides, this will be a good opportunity for you to spend time with him. You both hardly talk to each other."

He hardly spoke to his brother for an _extremely_ good reason.

"Sorry, Grimmy-chan," Gin said as he raised a steaming cup of coffee to his lips when he saw the pleading look that Grimmjow shot in his direction. "I can't help ya. Yer on yer own."

Oh, God no.

"Mum, please, I-"

Too late. Because Rangiku was already sucking in her breath, filling her lungs with air so that she would be able to call his brother to come downstairs. "LUPPI HONEY................!"

Before his mother even finished that last syllable, Grimmjow felt someone link his arm through his own. Looking down, he saw his brother's smug face. "Why, hello, big brother. Long time no see," Luppi purred.

* * *

Minutes later after being shoved into the car by his mother, Grimmjow found himself with an extremely sour expression on his face as he drove to school. Being in the company of his brother was not something he particularly enjoyed. He cast cerulean eyes over at the person sitting in the passenger seat. Luppi was a slight male who had a petite form. With something that resembled a hairclip in his pixie-styled black hair, large purple eyes and a delicate face, one could easily mistake him for a female. Even the way he sat was feminine. Heck, even Grimmjow sometimes thought that his brother was secretly a woman. Luppi was so vain and feminine looking that anyone could make that mistake. For all he knew, Luppi could be lying about having a dick.

Right now, Luppi was smirking at Grimmjow.

Did he mention that one of his brother's hobbies happened to be pissing him off? Grimmjow had to try very hard not to picture Luppi getting hit by a train.

"So," Luppi drawled. "Who is this Ulquiorra Cifer that I keep hearing about?"

"..."

Luppi leaned his arm against the window and placed his chin on the palm of his hand. If anything, Grimmjow's refusal to respond to his question only made him happier. His smirk widened.

"I heard that the two of you had something going on. But just when things were heating up, you dumped him."

Grimmjow had to resist the temptation to smash his brother's face in.

"To add salt to injury, you were playing around. Broke Ichigo's heart."

What was the commandment on brothers again?

"Then, you went back to that Ulquiorra guy, who rejected you straight out."

_Thou shalt not kill._

Was Luppi looking for some sort of death wish or something?

"I wonder, though. Why did you dump that Ulquiorra person in the first place?" Luppi said casually as he examined his fingernails. "Is he ugly or something? I bet that's why you dumped him. Or maybe-" Luppi grinned. "Your Little Grimmy is just too small to pleasure him?"

The hell?

"Oi! He is _not_ small!" Grimmjow retorted heatedly. "And don't call him Little," he muttered under his breath.

"I bet he is. I bet he's about the size of my pinky." Luppi held up his pinky and wiggled it. "Lookee here! It's Little Grimmy, and he can't make his boyfriends cum!"

"Luppi, shut up before you lose an eye!" Grimmjow snapped.

His patience was wearing thin. As much as he wanted to smack the brat, his mother would kill him. And honestly, as annoying as Luppi was, he was still family, and he loved him no matter what. Now, if only he did not have to spend any time with him, that would have been perfect. Once he was sure that Luppi was not going to make anymore jokes about his manhood, though a look of annoyance did cross the younger's face before a smirk curled on his lips, Grimmjow returned his attention on the road. He had a lot on his mind already without having Luppi add to his growing list of worries. God knows how Luppi knew everything that was happening to him, but then again, Luppi knew everything about everyone's business. And besides, this was high school. Word travels fast. Even the best kept secret would be leaked some way or another.

"He must hate you right now," Luppi said, enjoying how angry Grimmjow looked.

As soon as those words left the younger male's lips, Grimmjow's expression turned downcast. Grimmjow's grip on the wheel tightened. Luppi did not even notice his brother's change in mood, having become rather interested in looking out of the window.

Because those words were all too true.

* * *

Luckily, their last paper was to be held after recess, so everyone still had time to do some last minute studying. Grimmjow, who had been able to pull through his worst subject, did not worry too much. He knew that he had prepared well for the exams, he had thrown himself into studying to take his mind off of a certain raven haired teen, though he did occasionally pull out his notes for a quick review. Unfortunately for Nnoitra, though, he was not as well prepared as Grimmjow.

In fact, right at this very moment, Nnoitra was having Szayel tutor him last minute, much to the pink haired teen's annoyance. Not only was Szayel annoyed that Nnoitra did not even bother to study beforehand, but Jiruga kept on getting distracted by any attractive human being be it male or female, so long as it had a hole for him to fuck. The idiot was impossible. He did not know how much more "check out that ass" or "I wanna grab those tits" he could take before he lost his temper and threw a book at Nnoitra. And then there was the fact that he had to tolerate being in Grimmjow's presence.

Grimmjow was not that happy with this arrangement either. So he chose to ignore the two and their bickering, occasionally sending a glare in Szayel's direction whenever he made a degrading comment that was meant to be directed at Grimmjow. Luppi, who must have thought that it would be fun to bully his older brother for the day, had chosen to join them for recess despite Grimmjow's protests.

The smirk that was on the boy's face since he had joined them never wavered and Grimmjow was sorely tempted to smack it right off of his smug face.

Oh, how he hated his brother.

"Don't you have somewhere else to be, Jaegerjaquez?" Szayel said icily.

"Oi." Grimmjow glared at him. "I can be wherever I fucking want."

The smirk on Luppi's face intensified at this comment.

Oh, that was it. Grimmjow whirled on the younger.

"The fuck are you so happy about?" Grimmjow snapped.

"Nice unresolved sexual tension," Luppi said easily, nodding at Grimmjow and Szayel. He raised his hand to cover his mouth, his long sleeve completely covering his hand and hanging in midair, enjoying their shocked expressions. He looked at them from under thick, dark lashes. "I love it."

Nnoitra sniggered. "Nice one, Luppi!"

Grimmjow nearly murdered Luppi right then and there.

Even Szayel looked offended. Though now that Grimmjow thought about it, he did not mind the comment so much now. Not that he liked it, but at least it got Szayel to shut up. The pink haired teen had completely stopped being a bitch and chose to focus all of his attention on the hopeless Jiruga.

"Now, where were we, Nnoitra?" asked a rather disturbed Szayel.

Nnoitra scratched his head, trying to remember. "I think you were trying to teach me some algebra shit."

Szayel winced at that. "Algebra is not shit," he said crisply.

"Whatever." Nnoitra placed his hands behind his head. "So, teach," he said casually, making Szayel scowl.

Grimmjow, choosing to tune those two out, looked around his surroundings lazily. Everyone was busy eating, chatting or doing some last minute studying. He must have been one of the few who did not do any of those things. Feeling someone staring at him, Grimmjow turned and saw Ichigo Kurosaki sitting at a table with his friends. He was sitting next to Rukia, who seemed to be having an animated conversation with Inoue Orihime. Ichigo had looked like he was thinking about something, his lips set in a thin line. Grimmjow was about to wave at him in greeting, but the moment Ichigo realized that Grimmjow had caught him staring, the orange haired teen immediately turned his face away.

Grimmjow let his hand fall down to his side.

Kurosaki had just dissed him.

Grimmjow chose to ignore it, pretending that it did not bother him at all. He could have been mistaken. There was no way Ichigo would do that on purpose, right? But then again, Grimmjow _had_ hurt him. Rubbing his temples, he laughed bitterly. Haa... Everything was just so fucked up right now.

To distract himself, Grimmjow chose to look at the students who were lazing around near the entrance to school. Some of them were lying down on the grass, staring up at the blue sky. Some were simply talking to their friends idly, without a worry in the world. But what caught Grimmjow's eye was a certain emerald eyed teen. Ulquiorra was very much alone, books under his arm as he entered the school. This was the first time Grimmjow had seen Cifer alone. Usually, he was in the company of Szayel, who pretty much spent most of his time with him. Obviously, Szayel was not with him today since he had to tutor Nnoitra. Ulquiorra walked with a quiet grace that Grimmjow always knew that he possessed, and the moment that their eyes met for the first time in days, Ulquiorra immediately averted his eyes and continued walking at a quicker pace.

_It seems like you have truly forgotten about us, huh, Ulquiorra?_

The teal haired teen tightened his fists under the table.

Noticing the look on his brother's face, Luppi sniffed. "I suppose that that is Ulquiorra." He tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. "Not bad. He's beautiful, I give you that," he said, commenting on Ulquiorra's appearance. "And he has nice buttocks-" Luppi only narrowly escaped the smack that Grimmjow swung his way "- Now, rather than looking like a lost kitty, why don't you go after him, idiot?"

Grimmjow blinked. "What?"

"You heard me," Luppi said haughtily as he leaned back in his seat. "You aren't going to achieve anything by looking like an uneducated idiot the whole day."

What was it with people and giving him nicknames?

"Will you stop calling me-"

"I second what Luppi said," Nnoitra said absently as he attempted to solve the problem that Szayel had presented to him. He cursed when he got the answer wrong yet again and crumpled the paper he was working on, pulling out a new, clean sheet. He seemed to have completely forgotten about Grimmjow.

Grimmjow frowned.

As much as he hated to admit it, Luppi was right. Yes, Ulquiorra had rejected him, but the wounds were still fresh at the time. And most of all, Ulquiorra was scared, causing him to lash out at Grimmjow in such a manner. Ulquiorra may be avoiding him, but at least now he might consider listening to what Grimmjow had to say, right? There was no guarantee that he would listen to Grimmjow, but he could at least try.

"You're right." Having made up his mind, Grimmjow stood up and made to walk towards the school entrance. He looked over his shoulder and gave them a small wave. "I'll catch you guys later."

Luppi smiled.

* * *

Szayel pursed his lips. Not wanting to be accused of having any unresolved sexual tension for Jaegerjaquez again, he kept silent. Being accused once was enough, thank you very much.

Luckily, Nnoitra said exactly what was on his mind. The lanky teen narrowed his eyes at the petite male in suspicion. "Okay. Why the hell did you do that for?" He knew Luppi for as long as he knew Grimmjow, so he knew what sort of relationship those two had. Those two absolutely hated each other. Or maybe Luppi's constant bullying of his older brother and Grimmjow's constant threats to kill Luppi was some twisted way of showing that they cared. But that still did not change the fact that Luppi would not do something as nice as that if it did not benefit him some way or another. The kid was fun, but he was pure evil.

"Can't I be nice once in awhile?" Luppi pouted.

You could practically see the horns growing from the sides of his head.

Nnoitra rolled his eyes. "If you don't want to tell me, then fine. It's not like I'm that interested to know anyways. I- Whoa!"

"What now?" Szayel said, bored.

"Do you know that you have extremely beautiful eyes?" Nnoitra had gone back to horny mode, and he wanted some ass right now. It did not even matter if the ass belonged to someone as uptight as Szayel. He had gone without sex for so long that it was almost painful.

Szayel scowled. Grabbing the text book that was lying on the table, Szayel smacked Nnoitra's face with it. "Will you _stop _being such a horndog and study?"

"Ow! That hurt!" Nnoitra complained, rubbing his cheek where Szayel had hit him. "You should learn to chill, Grantz. I was only joking-" Szayel scoffed upon hearing that. But then Nnoitra's eyes widened, and that lecherous smile made its way back onto his face. "Who is that?" he said excitedly, pointing at a light brown haired male. New ass to have fun with.

Amber eyes flicked over to the person that Nnoitra was pointing at. "Oh, that's Tesla." The pink haired teen pushed his glasses up his nose. "He just moved here last week."

"Nice." Nnoitra's eyes were fixated onto poor Tesla's butt. "Hey, I'll catch up with you guys later, kay?" he said, before disappearing to chase after Tesla.

Szayel placed his chin on the palm of his hand. "Go right ahead," he said dully. There was no way he could stop a horny Nnoitra from getting what he wanted anyways, not unless he wanted to get fucked by Jiruga, which he did not want. Right now, he was alone with Luppi. He did not know the younger that well other than the fact that he was related to Jaegerjaquez, and even then he had only known that fact when the boy suddenly invited himself to their table, confidently introducing himself as Jaegerjaquez' brother.

If he had not introduced himself that way, Szayel would not have thought that he was related to Grimmjow in any way. Both were very different individuals. Luppi was a smug, snooty little bastard, and he held an air of suffocating overconfidence. The way he acted, looked and dressed was feminine whereas Grimmjow was masculine and rough. Luppi's clothes that hugged his petite form only emphasized his feminine appearance and his sleeves were too long, completely covering his hands. The purple eyed male only returned his gaze, as though he found Szayel amusing to look at, like he was the cat and Szayel was the mouse. Szayel did not like the way Luppi was looking at him.

"So," Szayel said, when he felt that they had been silent long enough. He fixed Luppi with a calm, penetrating gaze. "Why did you help Jaegerjaquez?"

"Because." Luppi crossed his arms across his chest. "I love drama."

"Really," Szayel said sceptically. "You know what I think?"

Luppi raised a delicate eyebrow. "What?"

"I think you did it because no matter how much you like to annoy him, you care about your brother." Szayel smiled sweetly. "Am I right?"

It really was amusing to see how the usually calm Luppi immediately got flustered.

"D-Don't be ridiculous," he choked, his face burning. "We hate each other. My brother is an idiot, there's no way I'd even care for him." He did not sound very convincing, though. "Besides, he was getting annoying moping around the house all the time."

Bingo. Looks like Szayel had hit the nail directly on the head.

"Righttttt....." Szayel said, purposely dragging the word out.

Luppi was about to open his mouth to give a scathing reply when a scream of terror cut him off.

Szayel rolled his eyes. "Idiot," he muttered under his breath.

It sounded like Nnoitra had finally caught Tesla.

* * *

"So. Wanna go out with me?"

The brown haired male attempted moving away from Nnoitra. "Your hand is on my ass," he said bluntly.

"Oops, sorry. It was an accident." Nnoitra did not look very sorry, though. "So, wanna go out?" He grinned down at the shorter male. He really was cute. He looked even cuter when he was annoyed. Especially when he was blushing like that.

"Your hand is _still_ on my ass," Tesla said flatly as he glared up at the towering teen.

_Ooh... feisty._

"I told you, it's still an accident!"

"God dammit, your hand is STILL there!"

"Hehe. Yeah..." A perverted grin pulled at the edges of Nnoitra's lips. He squeezed Tesla's ass brazenly, making the smaller teen gasp. "So. What do you say?"

Frustrated, the brown haired male raised his hand to slap Jiruga, but Nnoitra caught his hand easily. The taller teen leaned down till they were face to face. "I'm waiting," he said patiently.

The blush on Tesla's face intensified.

"Come on. If it doesn't work out, you don't have to see me again and I'll stop bugging you." Nnoitra let go of Tesla's hand. "But if it goes okay, we'll see how it goes from there."

Tesla rubbed his wrist, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. He hesitated. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he spoke. "If I agree, will you get your hand off of my ass?"

"Yeah."

Tesla sighed. "Fine. Just one date." He straightened out his shirt. "But no funny stuff, okay?"

"Sure."

"Your hand."

"Huh?"

"It's STILL there!"

"Oh, right. Sorry." Nnoitra sweat dropped and immediately let go. Hey, he was trying to change. But he never said that it would happen overnight, right?

* * *

After being able to find some sort of believable excuse to give to his friends, Ichigo left them and was now wandering around in school. He could have sworn that he had seen Ulquiorra walk in here, but for the life of him, he could not find the emerald eyed teen anywhere. It was like he had disappeared. Sighing, Ichigo ran a hand through orange locks. Ichigo had never been close to Ulquiorra. It was not like they had ever sat down and had a real friendly chat with each other. Heck, he doubted that Cifer even considered them friends.

But.

Kurosaki bit his bottom lip.

Ever since he had returned, Ulquiorra seemed like a ghost. And the only person he seemed to talk to nowadays was Szayel. In the presence of people, Ulquiorra looked like how he always did; cold and stoic. But once he was alone, Ichigo could see those emerald orbs cloud over, lose their harshness, and all Ichigo could see was how vulnerable he was. Ichigo could not get that image out of his mind. Ulquiorra was suffering.

And Ichigo needed to talk to him.

The orange haired teen stopped in his tracks when he was just about to turn a corner. There were voices. Two of them. And one of them sounded like it belonged to Ulquiorra. From what he could tell from where he was, they were having an intense conversation. Holding his breath, Ichigo pressed himself against the wall before daring to take a peek around the corner to see who Ulquiorra was talking to.

A very familiar, tall and muscular figure came into his vision, along with striking blue hair.

It was Grimmjow.

Ichigo quickly pulled away before they could notice him, staying put with his back against the wall.

* * *

_Where is he? _was the first thought that entered Grimmjow's mind the moment he stepped into school. Ulquiorra could not have gone too far. They had a paper to sit for soon, after all. His jaw set, Grimmjow walked towards the location where Ulquiorra was most probably at; the lockers. Ulquiorra might be keeping his books in his locker before exams started. Since the place was quite empty due to it being recess and most of the students were outside, every step that Grimmjow took echoed hauntingly throughout the hallway. Time seemed to pass by slowly as possible scenarios played in Grimmjow's mind of what might happen when he confronts Ulquiorra.

Images of Ulquiorra getting angry; Ulquiorra calling him a fool; Ulquiorra ignoring him; Ulquiorra telling him that he had never been serious with Grimmjow at all; Ulquiorra telling Grimmjow that he had someone else; Ulquiorra completely forgetting what had transpired between the two of them; Ulquiorra telling him that he hated Grimmjow; Ulquiorra telling him that he was moving away. All of these scenarios, all of them played in his mind, making fun of him, teasing him, though he tried to block them all out.

Sure enough, when Grimmjow arrived at his destination, there he was.

The raven haired teen was in front of his locker, putting his books into it neatly. There was no mistaking him; Grimmjow could tell without taking a second glance that it was Ulquiorra. Not any of those guys that he had mistaken for Ulquiorra in the midst of his panic and confusion, but this one. He recognized that messy raven hair, that slim build, that pale skin. He even recognized the clothes that Ulquiorra wore. A crisp, white shirt and a black jacket, along with worn, dark jeans. They were Ulquiorra's favourite. Ulquiorra had his back on him as he quietly arranged the books in his locker. Grimmjow wanted to call out to him, to speak like they used to, but found that his throat was dry. Ulquiorra was so near, yet so far out of Grimmjow's grasp. He could reach out towards him, and yet not be truly touching him. Ulquiorra had locked himself away from Grimmjow.

Grimmjow wanted to laugh. Why on earth was he doing this? Did he think that he would get his happy ending by just talking to him now? That he would end this whole thing right here? The whole thing sounded ridiculous in his mind now. He sounded like a hopeful idiot. Something he had never wanted to become. Didn't Ulquiorra reject him straight out in public? What more could Ulquiorra do to make it more clear?

"_It's over."_ Ulquiorra's voice echoed in his mind over and over. That voice. Full of sadness and anger. Ulquiorra's voice held no hint of a lie at the time.

It was clear to Grimmjow that there was no use trying again.

Grimmjow stopped.

What was he thinking?

True, he wanted Ulquiorra back in his life. But the reason he was doing this was much more important than what he wanted. It was not about him. It was about Ulquiorra.

And with that thought in mind, Grimmjow stepped forward. What more did he have to lose?

"Hey."

Upon hearing his voice, the raven haired teen stiffened. Grimmjow held his breath. But then Ulquiorra continued what he was doing, pretending that he did not hear Grimmjow. He did not even bother to acknowledge him. Grimmjow did not feel more invisible than he did at that very moment. Even more so than when Ulquiorra had just returned and pointedly ignored him. But still he tried to reach out to Ulquiorra, to make him listen. Ulquiorra did not listen to him that day, but he was going to make him listen.

"Ulquiorra," Grimmjow said. A little louder this time.

Nothing. Ulquiorra ignored him as he clicked his locker shut.

"Ulquiorra. Please. We need to talk," Grimmjow tried once more.

The sound of the locker being locked.

"Ulquiorra. Please talk to me." Grimmjow was pleading now. And that was something he never did.

Silence.

"Ulquiorra-"

"What, Jaegerjaquez?" Ulquiorra snapped. He turned around then, his expression one of annoyance. "What is it that you want to talk to me about? What exactly is so important to you that you find it necessary to contact me?" His voice was soft, barely above a whisper, and cold, yet it sounded incredibly clear to Grimmjow's ears.

Grimmjow was stunned, and for a moment or two, he found that he could not speak. The words that he wanted to say had left him as soon as those words left Ulquiorra's lips without so much as a care that it may cut him. And it did cut him. It cut him deep.

However, Ulquiorra took Grimmjow's silence as that he had nothing of importance to say, so Ulquiorra made to leave, walking past the teal haired teen. For the briefest of moments, their shoulders brushed each other's, but that was enough to bring Grimmjow back to reality.

"To talk about us. I want to talk about us."

A pause.

Then, "Then is nothing to talk about. I believe that I have already made myself clear to you, Jaegerjaquez." Ulquiorra attempted to leave again, but just then, Grimmjow turned around and grabbed his hand, completely stopping him.

No. Grimmjow narrowed his eyes. Grimmjow was not going to let Ulquiorra leave him again without hearing him out. He ignored how his fingers tingled where their skins touched. He ignored how his heart skipped a beat from that mere contact. He ignored everything else and focused on Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra was surprised, staring at their hands before lifting his eyes to meet cerulean ones. He looked like he was at a loss for words.

"Just hear me out, okay?"

Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes. "I don't have the time for this." His hand was cold, just like his voice. "There is nothing that we need to discuss."

"I-"

_He did not even want to listen._

"Let me go, Jaegerjaquez."

_He was trying to get away again._

He did not even call Grimmjow by his name now, just his last name. It sounded so formal, and impersonal. It was like indirectly saying that he did not want anything to do with Grimmjow anymore. He hated it when Ulquiorra called him by that name.

When Grimmjow did not let go, Ulquiorra said more forcefully, "I said 'let me go', trash!"

Trash?

Grimmjow could not take it anymore.

"Stop it, Ulquiorra! _Enough_!" Grimmjow said angrily, making Cifer stop and glare at him. "Stop calling me Jaegerjaquez and trash! Just stop it. This shit has gone on for too long. We have gotta talk."

Emerald eyes hardened. "Let me go or-"

"Or what, Ulquiorra? What are you going to do?" Grimmjow challenged. "Hit me if you'd like. Hit me as many times as you want, I don't care." He even let go of Ulquiorra's hand to emphasize his point. "If it'll make you happy, just do it."

Ulquiorra stared at him, speechless. He looked from his hand then at Grimmjow. He raised it, but then let it fall back to his side again. Ulquiorra's eyes were unreadable, but for a second there, Grimmjow saw a flicker of emotion. It was not much, but it was still there.

The expression on Grimmjow's face softened. "You don't want to hit me, do you?"

Ulquiorra stiffened. Ignoring the question, he glared at Grimmjow. "If you think that pulling this stunt will make me forgive you-"

"I'm not here for your forgiveness," Grimmjow interrupted, shaking his head as he did so. "And I'm not here to get you back either," he added when he saw Ulquiorra open his mouth to retort.

Cifer was not expecting this last statement, and it was apparent that it cut him, but he quickly recovered. "... Then what are you here for?" he said suspiciously.

Grimmjow breathed out heavily. "To make you understand." Ulquiorra was listening now, so he had to choose his words carefully. "Ulquiorra, everything that has happened, everything. I was stupid. I never meant to hurt you or anything. I just want to let you know that even though I fucked up really badly, my feelings for you-" A pause. "My feeling for you were real. ARE real. I never lied to you about that."

Ulquiorra's eyes softened. "Grimmjow..."

There it was. Ulquiorra was finally calling him by his name. Hearing his name slip past those pale lips made Grimmjow's heart flutter. It felt so good to hear Ulquiorra call him that after so long. It made him feel like he was closer to Ulquiorra again, and that Ulquiorra was more willing to let him.

"My feelings were and are real," Grimmjow said honestly.

Ulquiorra stared at Grimmjow in stunned silence. He was torn. What was he supposed to say to that? Were his words real, or were they fake? As cliché as it sounded, he was told that listening to his heart was the best solution when it came to facing situations such as this. But really, look at where listening to his heart had brought him. Was it really all that reliable? Decisions made by following the heart are flawed, blinded by emotions. But then again, was thinking with his brain really suitable for this sort of situation? This situation did not call for logic. He was saved from providing an answer, because just then, a blonde man came and walked up towards then, a smile present on his face.

"Grimmy-chan! I was looking all over for you. I need your help with something," Mr. Urahara exclaimed, as he held his fan in front of his face. Noticing Ulquiorra standing there next to Grimmjow, he giggled, "Ahhh Ulqui-chan! The two of you are dating again, I see."

Grimmjow tore his eyes away from Ulquiorra's face to look at his chemistry teacher. Grimmjow could see that Ulquiorra was just as surprised as he was, though he did not show it as much. He glanced at Ulquiorra worriedly. He could not tell what Ulquiorra was thinking. He had looked like he was about to say that he loved Grimmjow back, but now that that moment was gone, was it possible that Ulquiorra might just change his mind? He cursed under his breath. Did Mr. Urahara really have to choose that exact moment to butt in?

"So, Ulqui-chan. Do you mind if I steal Grimmy away from you for a moment?"

Ulquiorra looked at Mr. Urahara's smiling face, then slowly turned to fix his gaze on Grimmjow's. It was a penetrating gaze, as though Ulquiorra was trying to read exactly what was on his mind. He did not need to, though. Grimmjow was like an open book; what you see is what you get. However, Ulquiorra must have found something he did not like or that he refused to believe or acknowledge what he found because his next words were, "Go ahead, Mr. Urahara. Jaegerjaquez was just leaving."

"Oh, thank you, Ulqui-chan!" Mr. Urahara squealed.

_Ulquiorra refused to listen._

* * *

Ulquiorra sighed in relief. He had finally gotten rid of Grimmjow, thanks to Mr. Urahara interrupting them. He did not even want to think about what would have happened if that man had not arrived. Ulquiorra raised his hand and stared at the palm of his hand, remembering how it felt to have Grimmjow hold it, their skins touching one another's. He could not believe that just Grimmjow's mere touch had thrown everything out of his mind, making him think of nothing else but Grimmjow. Making him remember what it felt like to have his hand held by Grimmjow. Making the feelings that he had tried so hard to bury resurface. Ulquiorra closed his hand into a fist. But most of all, even though he held so much anger and resentment towards Grimmjow, when he had been given a chance to, he could not hit him. Was Ulquiorra that weak when it came to Grimmjow? It was better that Mr. Urahara had interrupted them when he did. Otherwise, Ulquiorra might have just fallen into the trap of being abandoned again.

"Ulquiorra!"

Ulquiorra stopped in his tracks. He raised an eyebrow at the teen who was taking long strides towards him. "Kurosaki?"

Ichigo was standing in front of him now, his orange hair messy as usual. Since he was taller than Ulquiorra, Ulquiorra had to tilt his head back slightly to look up at him. He gave Ulquiorra an awkward smile. "Hey. Can we talk?"

Ulquiorra blinked. "About?"

He remembered a time when he used to be jealous of Kurosaki, though he had never admitted it out loud. This was the man that had attracted Grimmjow's attention and captured his heart. And why not? Ichigo Kurosaki was extremely handsome and smart. He had a loving family, a good background, a good personality. He was popular and had a lot of friends. He was well-liked by everyone. He was everything that Ulquiorra was not. And if Ulquiorra was being honest with himself, it looked like those days were not over just yet. He would have to say that he still was jealous, though he bore no ill feelings towards Kurosaki.

It was not Kurosaki's fault, after all.

"Well, I'm not sure, actually." Ichigo scratched the back of his neck nervously. "I just wanted to tell you something."

Ulquiorra tilted his head to the side. "I'm listening, Ichigo," he said pleasantly. What did Ichigo want to tell him?

"I'm not sure why I'm telling you this since you probably already know, but do you remember that day when I called you and you told me that Grimmjow was coming to my house to meet me?"

"_Oh," Ichigo said, sitting back down in his chair. "Wait. What were the two of you doing?" he asked suspiciously._

_A pause._

"_Nothing," Ulquiorra lied. "I was just tutoring him."_

_The orange haired teen closed his eyes. Of course. He had completely forgotten that Ulquiorra and Grimmjow were now study buddies. Well, not exactly study buddies since Ulquiorra was the one teaching Grimmjow and Grimmjow was the one doing the studying. "Well," he said hesitantly, "Do you know where he might be? I have something important to discuss with him."_

_Another pause._

"_I would say that he should be on his way to your house right now, Ichigo." Ulquiorra's voice was hard. He sounded angry and there was also a hint of bitterness in his voice. And sadness too?_

How could he ever forget?

"Yes..." Ulquiorra said slowly. Where was Kurosaki exactly heading with this?

"Well, he did come to my house."

Of course he did, Ulquiorra wanted to say. In all honesty, he was not surprised at all that that was where Grimmjow went that day. Ulquiorra had only suspected it at the time, but it looked like his suspicions were true.

"But he only came to end things with me."

What?

Ulquiorra could not believe what he had just heard. Did Kurosaki really say that? His mind was spinning. Grimmjow actually ended things with Kurosaki that night? Wait. Then that meant that Grimmjow was not lying about loving him. That everything Grimmjow had told him was true. That his words were real and not fake. This sounded almost too good to be true. If it was, why didn't Grimmjow tell him about it before? Could it possibly be true, or was Kurosaki saying this out of spite? Kurosaki did not possess a bad bone in his body, so why?

"You should be happy, Ulquiorra. Because Grimmjow really does love you." Ichigo smiled brightly. "I can tell from the way he looks at you. Even when you were away, he was lost. He missed you. You mean the world to him. You're really lucky," he said sincerely. "In fact." A slight blush of embarrassment spread across Ichigo's cheeks. "I used to be jealous of you."

Ulquiorra was taken aback. "Me? Why?"

The orange haired teen looked away, his cheeks flaming. "I envied you because Grimmjow spent more time with you than he did with me. He talked about you a lot too." He looked back at Ulquiorra, the smile back on his face. "So yeah. You're lucky, Ulquiorra. Don't let anything hold you back, because I know Grimmjow will never do anything to intentionally hurt you. Grimmjow may be brash, but he's a good guy." A small hand came and intertwined its fingers with Ichigo's. Kuchiki Rukia had arrived and she looked at the both of them curiously, before smiling at Ulquiorra.

"Hi, Ulquiorra," she greeted him.

"Hello, Rukia. It's nice to see you again," Ulquiorra responded politely.

Ichigo and Rukia...? Ulquiorra looked at the pair, puzzled, before piecing the two together. He smiled then. A small smile. My. Things certainly have changed since he was away.

"Ichigo," she said, her purple blue eyes staring up at Ichigo. "Exams are about to start. We should start going or we'll be late."

Indeed, students had already started to flood the hallway, pencil cases in hand as they got ready to enter the examination hall.

Ichigo cursed under his breath. "Damn it. I totally lost track of time." He looked at Ulquiorra apologetically. "I've got to go. But remember what I said, though, okay?" He squeezed Rukia's hand as he held it in a more firm, yet gentle grip. He tilted his head, smiling. "I'm happy now, and you should be, too. Don't waste your time being sad."

Ulquiorra could only watch as the couple began to walk away and disappear into the crowd, before shaking his head and making his way to the examination hall as well.

All those things Ichigo said... Ulquiorra rubbed his temple.

_They could not possibly be true._

_Could they?_

_

* * *

_

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own _That 70's Show_ (NnoiTes scene joke)... Sorry, couldn't resist. I modified the joke though, to suit the story. I love that show. One of my favourites :D


	16. The End

It took him a little longer than usual to finish his paper, but he did. He had a bit of trouble concentrating on answering the questions, what with the conversation that he had with Ichigo Kurosaki constantly resounding in his mind, but he managed to answer all of the questions presented to him. Ulquiorra was not the first to complete his paper, but he was not the last. Upon completing his paper, the teen got up and gave his paper to Mr. Urahara as usual, completely ignoring Grimmjow when he walked past him. His teacher accepted the paper and smiled at him.

"Didn't have too much trouble with the paper, I hope?" Mr. Urahara said pleasantly.

"No, sir," Ulquiorra replied.

"That's good to hear, Ulqui-chan. Enjoy your holidays then." Mr. Urahara waved his hand, a sign that said that Ulquiorra was free to go.

"I will. You too, Mr. Urahara."

The teen bowed his head slightly before exiting the exam hall, but Ulquiorra did not go back home, though. Instead, he walked around aimlessly, deep in thought. The things that Kurosaki said. About Grimmjow going to his house to break things off with him. That Grimmjow really loved Ulquiorra. That, that night was not a lie. That this whole thing was merely a misunderstanding. Ulquiorra closed his eyes and rubbed his temple. He could feel a headache coming on. He needed to go somewhere to clear his thoughts and just, think properly.

When he looked up, Ulquiorra saw that he was standing in front of the music room. His legs had brought him here without him realizing it.

Raising his hand, Ulquiorra twisted the doorknob, and pulled the door open. The familiar sight of musical instruments, tables and chairs met his eyes.

Maybe being here and playing one of the instruments would help clear his mind. Ulquiorra closed the door behind him. No one would disturb him here, especially since everyone else had either gone home or were still doing their exams. The door closed with a soft click.

* * *

Damn. Was it that late already? Grimmjow looked around as he walked in the hallway. The place was practically empty. He did not see another student in sight. Was he the only one here in the entire school? The way his footsteps echoed in the hallway only solidified his reasoning that he was the only one there. Exhaling softly, Grimmjow cursed under his breath. He was going to return home late, and his parents were so going to give him a lecture. His mother might actually punish him by making him send Luppi to school every day for a whole semester, and what a joy that would be. Grimmjow could already imagine the insults that he would have to tolerate from Luppi.

This was all Mr. Urahara's fault.

_After dragging Grimmjow away from Ulquiorra, much to Grimmjow's frustration, the blonde man turned around, his fan covering half of his face. Grimmjow would bet anything that behind that fan of his was a smile. He tried not to scowl or show his temper, though. After all, Mr. Urahara was still his teacher._

"_Grimmy-chan, I need you to do me a favour," Kisuke Urahara said as he fanned himself. Before Grimmjow could even respond, the man went on and said, "I need your help reorganizing some files after you finish your paper. Can you do that?" Again, before Grimmjow could open his mouth, Urahara tapped the teen's nose lightly with the tip of his now closed fan, and exclaimed, "Thank you! I knew I could count on you!"_

Grimmjow bit the inside of his cheek upon remembering that memory. So Grimmjow had no choice, but to help Mr. Urahara after he finished his paper. Helping the man reorganize his files did not take too long. In fact, if that was the only thing that Grimmjow had to do, then he would have gone back home hours ago, but Mr. Urahara kept on finding him more and more things to do. He asked Grimmjow to help tidy up his office, to carry tables and chairs around, to make him some coffee, to help find his missing books, to help buy him some food and what not. After Grimmjow was done doing one task, Urahara would quickly find something else for Grimmjow to do, each task more ridiculous than the last.

Needless to say, Grimmjow was so close to popping a vein.

Why his teacher made him do all the work, like carrying a whole butt load of tables and chairs by himself when Urahara could have asked for more students to help out, Grimmjow did not know.

All of this just made Grimmjow come to the conclusion that Mr. Urahara was a sadist.

The teal haired teen stretched his arms above his head. He felt sore all over. Damn. He could not wait to get back home and to take a nice, long shower before hitting the sack. He was exhausted. That was the thought that ran through his mind when he came upon the school doors that lead outside, only to find that they were locked. There was even a chain wrapped around both the door handles with a padlock locking it securely. The hell? Grimmjow shook the chains to check. The chains rattled and held.

_What the hell? Is it really that late?_

"Of all the fucking luck," Grimmjow swore under his breath. Trying not to panic, Grimmjow tried all of the other exits that he knew of in the building. But came up with nothing.

All of the doors were locked.

He tried the door in the kitchen, the door at the other end of school, the door at the other_ other_ end of school, heck he even tried opening the doors to all of the classrooms. But no matter how many doors he tried opening, none of them budged. They were all locked. No way. Grimmjow checked his watched. It was still 5.03 PM. School should not be locked just yet. At least, that was what he thought. Grimmjow was about to slam his fist against the wall when he remembered that he had brought his cell phone. He could call someone to pick him up. Duh.

Fishing for his cell phone in his pocket, Grimmjow pulled it out once he found it.

Only to find that it was dead.

Damn it!

Grimmjow shoved the gadget back into his pocket. Calm down, Grimmjow. There must be a way out. Maybe there was a classroom that he did not check yet, and he could get out of school through the window. Assuming that the room was on the ground floor, of course. If there was an unlocked classroom on this floor, then he was out of luck since it was not on the ground floor. And as if on cue while Grimmjow was looking around, cerulean eyes caught sight of a classroom door that was slightly ajar. It was the Music Room, and there was the soft sound of a piano being played coming from the room.

* * *

Ulquiorra allowed his fingers to glide across the piano keys, marvelling at how smooth they were. Although he was not that good at playing the piano, he knew a few simple songs. Just songs for children, but still, it counted as something. Nothing much happened here except that Szayel had come by a few hours ago to check up on him before leaving him. As expected, being here in the Music Room helped Ulquiorra to clear his mind. He was much more relaxed now, and the only thing that filled his mind was the sound of the piano keys being played. Here, it was like he was the only person in the room. There wasn't anything that could distract him now.

A pale finger pressed down on a piano key when the owner suddenly stopped, breath caught in his throat. He could feel someone staring at him.

He was no longer alone.

Slowly, Ulquiorra turned around, and caught sight of an all too familiar teal haired teen. He froze and his eyes widened, but quickly caught himself. He did not expect to see him here of all places.

"Jaegerjaquez," he intoned, his eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here?"

"Ahh... Nothing," Grimmjow responded sheepishly, shifting uncomfortably under Ulquiorra's glare. "Look, Ulquiorra, I-"

"Leave."

"But-"

"_Leave_." And this time, Ulquiorra placed more emphasis on the word.

Silence.

Then...

"Fine," Grimmjow snapped.

Turning around, Grimmjow reached out to twist the doorknob open. But it did not open. Cerulean eyes widened. "Fuck."

"What is it?" Ulquiorra said in spite of himself.

Jaegerjaquez looked back, worry in his eyes. "The door. It's locked."

* * *

His hand shook as he pulled the key out of the keyhole after locking the door. He closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down and steady his breathing. His heart was beating hard against his chest. He could not believe that he was doing this.

Staring at the door for a moment, knowing exactly who he had locked inside, he turned and walked away, putting as much distance between himself and the Music Room. He did not even look back.

* * *

Rangiku was in the living room reading a magazine when the house phone suddenly rang. Annoyed, she closed the magazine reluctantly, blue eyes looking up at the phone that sat across the room. Who on Earth could be calling now? Sighing, the blonde woman stood up and placed the magazine on the coffee table before walking towards the phone and answering it.

"Hello?" she said, twirling a lock of her hair between her fingers.

"Hello, is this by any chance Grimmjow's mother?"

"Ah, yes, that's me," she responded. Her eyebrows knitting together, she asked, "May I know who this is?"

The person told her.

"Oh! Hello!" she exclaimed, her suspicious air immediately gone and replaced with her usual friendliness. "Sorry, I almost didn't recognize your voice there. I really shouldn't have drunk so much just now. Now, what was it that you wanted to tell me, dear?"

"It's alright. I just wanted to tell you that Grimmjow will be home quite late today."

"Ah, really?" she said, surprised.

"Yes. Since he has just finished his exams, he has gone off to celebrate it somewhere. I think he went to the mall with a bunch of his friends."

Rangiku clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "He did not tell me that. He really should have called, that naughty boy," she said in annoyance. "I'm so going to make him drive Luppi to school every day for this."

"I'm sorry."

"Oh, no, no, it's okay," she laughed. "Thank you, really. Thanks for telling me."

"You're welcome." A pause. "Well, I have to go now. It was nice talking to you, ma'am."

Rangiku giggled. "You really don't have to call me that, you know. But it was nice talking to you. Take care, hun."

And with that, Rangiku put the phone down and returned to reading her magazine on the couch, determined to give her eldest son a piece of her mind once he got back.

* * *

"It ain't gonna work, Ulqui. I already tried opening it."

"It's Ulquiorra, not Ulqui," Ulquiorra snapped.

Ulquiorra slammed his fist against the door in frustration. He did not look too happy about being stuck in a room with the man who had left him. Grimmjow heard Ulquiorra swear under his breath before the pale teen leaned his back against the wall and slowly sat down. Ulquiorra looked up at the ceiling, his arms wrapped around his knees loosely. "We can't even get out through the window. It's too dangerous. Unless we want to break our necks."

Cifer sighed, picking at the fabric of his jeans. They had been stuck in this room for well over an hour now, and to be honest, he was worried. The holidays had already started, and he was not sure whether the janitor or anyone would come by school tomorrow to check on things. What made matters worse was that Grimmjow's cell phone was dead, so they could not call anyone for help. Ulquiorra did not think about bringing his own cell phone. Grimmjow had even tried yelling to attract the attention of whoever that accidentally locked them in, but to no avail. The person must have already left the building if he or she did not hear Grimmjow, but then again, how could the person leave the building that quickly?

Ulquiorra sighed and rubbed his temple for what must have been the fifth time that day.

Grimmjow had taken to pacing around the room, opening drawers and opening the cupboards in hopes of finding something, anything that could help them get out of the room, but Ulquiorra highly doubted that he would find anything. Especially since the key to the room was with the janitor. Climbing out of the window was no go either since they were on the third floor.

Emerald eyes followed Grimmjow, watching the way he walked and the way he looked as he searched the room in determination, his lips pursed.

They did not speak much since they were locked in here. Ulquiorra had made it a point that he did not want to speak to Grimmjow, and often avoided looking at him. He was still angry, but he was also a bit nervous being so close to Grimmjow again. However, seeing him here now, the object of his affection and heartache, Ulquiorra could not help, but wonder. His mind kept on going back to the conversation that he had with Kurosaki. He balled his hands into fists, slowly clenching and unclenching them.

_"Well, he did come to my house."_

Ulquiorra lowered his eyes to the ground, unable to look at Grimmjow anymore.

_"But he only came to end things with me."_

Why was it that just this one piece of knowledge was capable of making him doubt what he thought about Grimmjow?

He pulled his knees closer to his chest and rubbed his forehead against his kneecaps.

This just was not fair.

Grimmjow opened yet another cupboard. The Music Room was quite big and there were a few cupboards here, most of them filled with the smaller musical instruments, stacks of paper and textbooks. So far, his search proved fruitless, but he was determined. They needed to find a way to get out of here, and climbing out of the window really was not an option. Grimmjow was about to close the cupboard door when some items placed neatly on top of a stack of papers caught his eye. They were blankets, two bottles of water and two containers of food.

"Hey, Ulqui- I mean Ulquiorra, look what I found, I-" Grimmjow started, but then the words died on his lips when he saw Ulquiorra sitting with his arms wrapped around his knees and his forehead on his kneecaps, as though trying to shut himself out from everything else. With the items in his arms, Grimmjow walked over to the pale teen and lowered himself so that he would be level with Ulquiorra. "Hey," he said softly. "What's wrong?"

Upon hearing Grimmjow's voice, Ulquiorra, startled, looked up and, seeing Grimmjow, immediately moved away from him until his back was back against the ceiling. "Nothing's wrong," he said dismissively, though the nervousness that flashed through his eyes said otherwise. "I'm fine."

"Ulqui..."

"What was it that you found?" Ulquiorra interrupted. He did not want to talk.

"Eh? Oh." Grimmjow looked down at the items he held and presented them to Ulquiorra. "I found these in one of the cupboards. The food looks pretty fresh too, I think someone must have forgotten to bring it back or something. And since it's nearly time for dinner, well... We should eat first, and then get some rest. My parents are bound to notice that I'm missing so someone will look for us soon."

Ulquiorra did not answer. Instead, he took one container of food and a bottle of water gingerly, his eyebrows knitted together. Strange.

It was almost as if that someone had planned for them to be here.

But he did not say anything about it, though. Instead, he kept his eyes averted from Grimmjow's the entire time, and did not attempt to make any conversation with him while Ulquiorra ate the food in the container tentatively. It seemed safe enough. Once he had established that fact, Ulquiorra act the food more readily and when he was done, he washed it down with some water. After they were done with "dinner", Grimmjow and Ulquiorra quietly cleared away the bottles and containers, still not speaking.

Tired, Ulquiorra chose a spot in the corner of the room to sleep at. Though the floor was hard, he lay down on the floor without complaint, curling up into a small ball due to the cold from the air-conditioning. There was nothing he could do about it anyway. Ulquiorra shifted slightly, trying to get into a comfortable position. Just when he was about to close his eyes, though, he could feel Grimmjow draw near and place a blanket on top of him.

"Goodnight, Ulquiorra," he said. His hands lingered on Ulquiorra's arms for awhile before he settled to sleep at a spot not too far off from Ulquiorra's.

Ulquiorra clutched at the blanket, pulling it close to him. Why?

_"Save it, Jaegerjaquez," he heard Ulquiorra say. "Now let me go. People are beginning to stare."_

_And he was right. People were beginning to cast them strange looks their way. Some were whispering to one another, shaking their heads in disapproval as they frowned at them._

_Some of his tears dripped onto Ulquiorra's shoulder. So this was it, huh?_

"Hey, Ulquiorra, are you awake?"

Ulquiorra gave him no response, choosing to look at the palm of his hand in front of him, looking at his own fingers.

"I just want to talk to you about what happened this morning."

The room was cold. Ulquiorra clutched the blanket closer to his body. He closed his eyes, letting out a shuddering breath. Why?

From the moment he had met Grimmjow, he hated him. At the time, he regarded Grimmjow as nothing more than an idiot whose only redeeming quality was his looks. Never mind the fact that he had a lot of friends and was well-liked, he was mere trash in Ulquiorra's eyes. The teen's intelligence was nothing to brag about, and he was much too loud for Ulquiorra's liking. He was loud, annoying, and expected too much.

So when Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez approached him for help on his love life, Ulquiorra quickly rejected him. He was not interested in associating himself with trash, much less helping trash. And then there was the fact that he thought that love was a worthless feeling. A feeling that was only a burden and did not bring anyone any benefit. What was the point in indulging one's self in such an emotion when it brought nothing to one's life?

In his own words: It has no use. It is not going to help a person in his or her studies. Or to further their career. Or make them stronger. Therefore, love is, and always will be worthless.

_"Ulquiorra." Grimmjow bit his bottom lip. "I'm sorry for hurting you."_

_"It's over, Grimmjow," Ulquiorra said, his voice soft._

_And with that, the teal haired teen released Ulquiorra from his grasp, letting his arms fall limply to his sides. He knew that it was no use. Ulquiorra had made up his mind._

"When I wanted to talk to you about us."

Ulquiorra closed his hand into a fist, trying to block the memory out of his mind.

And yet, in spite of all of Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez' flaws, Ulquiorra Cifer had opened up to him. Though Ulquiorra could have easily backed out of helping Grimmjow, he still did. He only helped the first time because the other had threatened him into it. But the second time, the second time was different. Ulquiorra had not only agreed to helping him, but he also brought Grimmjow to his house and even went as far as to allow Grimmjow to kiss him, to touch him. Though they did not go very far that day, that incident still left him breathless.

As if that was not enough, he could have chosen to stop associating himself with the person he once deemed as "trash", but he did not. Instead, he continued seeing Grimmjow. What had begun as just business became something more. Eventually, they did not meet and spend time with each other because they had to, but because they wanted to.

Bit by bit, Grimmjow became an important part of his life. He became the person that Ulquiorra opened up to, showing him a side of himself that he did not show anyone else. Ulquiorra had let Grimmjow kiss him, touch him, taste him, _take_ him. After Ulquiorra had given him everything, he found himself waking up alone in bed.

_"Oh and one last thing. Here. You can have this back." Ulquiorra fished for something in his pocket and pulled a device from it. He pushed it into Grimmjow's hands and looked into Grimmjow's eyes, sadness and tears ever present in emerald orbs. And with that, Ulquiorra turned on his heel and walked away._

_Tears filling his eyes and blurring his vision, Grimmjow opened his hands._

_It was his cell phone._

"I know I said that I wasn't looking for your forgiveness." Grimmjow paused, trying to choose his next words carefully. "But I'm sorry for forcing you to listen like that, even when you didn't want to."

Ulquiorra stared at the wall before him, his expression unreadable.

After being deserted, Ulquiorra had closed himself off to the world again. He returned to the shell that he was so familiar with. It was comfortable there, but most of all, he felt safe. Safe from getting hurt again. But at the same time, he longed for Grimmjow. It was a feeling that he was ashamed of having. He kept thinking and wanting the very person that hurt him.

So when Ichigo Kurosaki came to him and told him that Grimmjow had only gone to his house to break things off with him, Ulquiorra could not help feeling a flutter of hope in his heart. But still he did not want to believe it. What if it was not true? But then again, if it was not true, then Grimmjow would not have tried asking for his forgiveness. If he only wanted Ulquiorra for his body, Grimmjow would not have bothered talking to him, much less ask for his forgiveness.

Though Ulquiorra kept pushing him away in a cruel manner, Grimmjow was still nice to him.

_Why are you still so nice to me?_

Ulquiorra wanted to know. He wanted to know the truth.

"But I want to know if we're... cool yet, since Urahara interrupted us before. I just want to make sure, so I'd know where we stand right now." When Ulquiorra did not respond, Grimmjow pushed his blanket off of him and said tentatively, "Ulquiorra?" Nothing. Thinking that Ulquiorra was purposely ignoring him again, Grimmjow frowned and sat up, about to give Ulquiorra a piece of his mind. And the first thing that met his eyes when he turned to look on his side was Ulquiorra lying curled up on the floor, the blanket wrapped around his slim body. His heart immediately softened at the sight. "Sleeping, huh?"

No answer.

Well, he could always talk to Ulquiorra about it in the morning.

Grimmjow leaned against the wall, and closed his eyes. "Didn't mean to bother you. I'll-"

A hand covered his mouth.

"Keep quiet, Jaegerjaquez," said a cold voice.

Grimmjow's eyes snapped open. Right there, right in front of him was Ulquiorra sitting on his lap with a pale hand pressed against Grimmjow's mouth. Grimmjow's eyes widened. Ulquiorra had a very serious expression on his face, his lips set in a thin line and determination in his eyes. Leaning forward, Ulquiorra said, his voice low, "I don't want to listen to any of that." Removing his hand from Grimmjow's mouth, he leaned closer, till his lips were practically an inch away from Grimmjow's. "What I want to know is, what happened after _we_ happened and you disappeared all of a sudden?"

"Eh?" Grimmjow froze, his heart beating hard against his chest. Even if he wanted to move away, he could not, for Ulquiorra had hooked his fingers at teal hair at the back of his head. He took a deep breath in an attempt to clear his mind. Having Ulquiorra so close that he could feel Cifer's warm breath fan across his lips was making him dizzy. "Why do you want to know?"

"Hmm." Ulquiorra furrowed his eyebrows, not pleased with the answer he received. However, he continued to speak, ignoring the look of discomfort on Grimmjow's face, "Kurosaki told me something very interesting today." Ulquiorra placed his other hand on Grimmjow's shoulder to steady himself. "He told me that you went to his house to end things with him. Is this true?"

"Wh-what? He told you that?" Grimmjow spluttered. "When did he-"

And that was all Ulquiorra needed to hear to know that Kurosaki had spoken the truth.

"Silence, Jaegerjaquez. I don't need to hear it."

Without so much as saying anything else, Ulquiorra closed the distance between their lips and kissed Grimmjow, pressing his body against the taller teen's. Shocked, Grimmjow sat absolutely still, unsure of what he was supposed to do. Ulquiorra was kissing him, and throughout his knowing Ulquiorra, sure, they had kissed before, but Ulquiorra was never the one to initiate any of their kisses. Ulquiorra's eyes were closed while he kissed Grimmjow. He seemed so calm, from the way he brushed his lips against Grimmjow's gently, that Jaegerjaquez was startled when he felt something wet trail down his cheek. It was then that Ulquiorra withdrew and rested his forehead against Grimmjow's, and Grimmjow saw something on Ulquiorra's face that he had not seen in a long time:

Emotion.

Tears were falling down Ulquiorra's cheeks. Pearl-like tears that formed at the corners of his eyes and fell down one by one, falling onto their shirts.

"I'm the one who should be saying sorry," Ulquiorra said, looking down. "I'm sorry, Grimmjow."

What followed after was an exceptionally long stretch of silence.

Every breath that Ulquiorra took, and every heartbeat that his heart made, they were all incredibly clear to his ears. Every sound around him, no matter how small, all seemed apparent to him now, when before, he did not notice them at all. His fingers on one hand were still hooked to the hair at the back of Grimmjow's head, while his other hand was still on Grimmjow's shoulder, never leaving. Sapphire eyes were wide and staring, and Ulquiorra could not bear to look into them. Ulquiorra was almost tempted to stand up and leave the warmth that the other offered when Grimmjow did not give him any response. He loosened his grip on Grimmjow's shoulder. He was too late, wasn't he?

So when he felt a pair of hands cup his cheeks and a pair of lips press against his forehead, Ulquiorra sat still in shock, unable to believe what was happening.

"It's okay," Grimmjow said softly before proceeding to kiss each of Ulquiorra's closed eyelids, and repeating the same sentence with each kiss. He moved down and kissed away Ulquiorra's tears and murmured the same sentence with each kiss. When he reached Ulquiorra's lips, however, he said, "I understand, Ulquiorra," his lips brushing against Ulquiorra's lightly, and ended that sentence by kissing Ulquiorra fully.

He understood.

Ulquiorra did not need to offer any explanation. He did not need to tell Grimmjow why he acted the way he did.

Because Grimmjow understood.

He understood why Ulquiorra was hard to get close to.

He understood why Ulquiorra was cold and kept to himself most of the time.

He understood why Ulquiorra viewed love with disdain.

He understood why Ulquiorra did not want to fall in love.

He understood why Ulquiorra was _afraid_.

With this knowledge in mind, Ulquiorra allowed Grimmjow to deepen the kiss, their tongues meeting and intertwining. Though it was hard, having to let himself be vulnerable again, he let go of his fears and allowed himself to open his heart to Grimmjow once more; his doubts towards the teal haired teen no longer existed. The way they kissed, their lips, their tongues moved in a familiar pattern that only the both of them knew. Loosening his hold on Grimmjow's hair, Ulquiorra moved his hand down in favour for wrapping his arms around Grimmjow's neck.

As Grimmjow sucked on Ulquiorra's tongue, he ran his hands down Ulquiorra's body, until they rested on slim hips. Pulling the smaller teen closer, Grimmjow broke their heated kiss in favour for trailing kisses down Ulquiorra's neck and occasionally licking at the pale expanse of skin that was exposed to him.

He felt Ulquiorra shiver when he started sucking at Ulquiorra's collarbone in such a way that would surely leave a mark afterwards. It truly was a wonderful experience being able to hold, touch and feel the warmth that was Ulquiorra again, his hands exploring the body that was once again his. Though they had only spent one night together, Grimmjow remembered Ulquiorra's body. How it looked, how it felt, the warmth. The memory of that night, and every kiss they shared were embedded in his mind.

"Nn... More, Grimmjow. Haa..." Ulquiorra panted, pushing at Grimmjow's shirt, his intention clear.

"Give everything to me, Ulquiorra," Grimmjow breathed hotly against Ulquiorra's ear.

* * *

"Grimm... Grimmjow!"

After they finally came, Ulquiorra sat comfortably in Grimmjow's arms, exhausted, his chin on Grimmjow's shoulder and his hands hanging onto the back of his shirt. The raven haired teen closed his eyes, savouring the warmth that the other offered. It had been a long time since he was in Grimmjow's arms like this and being here made him realise how much he missed it. Grimmjow held Ulquiorra close, not wanting to let go. He nuzzled raven hair, taking in his lover's scent.

"I missed you." He tightened his grip on Ulquiorra. "Don't you ever pull a stunt like that again."

"And don't you _ever_ do something as stupid as that again," Ulquiorra retorted childishly. When Grimmjow chuckled at his response, Ulquiorra withdrew so that he was facing Grimmjow and narrowed his eyes. "I'm serious."

Tucking a finger under Ulquiorra's chin, Grimmjow drew Ulquiorra close and pressed his lips against his in a chaste kiss. "I'm sorry," he murmured.

"Hmm..." Ulquiorra sighed, feeling extremely content and relaxed. There was absolutely nothing that could spoil this moment. This moment was perfect. He closed his eyes. This was how it should be between him and Grimmjow. No walls, no defences, no lies. Just them being them.

"Ulquiorra?"

"Nn?" Sleep was beginning to take over his mind. It was just so comfortable here.

"I just realised something."

"What is it?"

"We just did it in school."

Ulquiorra groaned inwardly.

Grimmjow just _had_ to ruin the moment, didn't he?

"Idiot."

Grimmjow only laughed and pulled Ulquiorra into yet another hug. "I love you, Ulquiorra." He nuzzled his boyfriend's pale neck.

Ulquiorra smiled. "I love you too, Grimmjow."

So caught up in the moment, they did not even hear the soft click of the door being unlocked.

* * *

Sitting outside in the hall by himself, Szayel Aporro Grantz let out a breath that he had been holding in and leaned his head against the wall. He stared up at the ceiling listlessly. He could not believe that he had done that. The keys that he had gotten from Mr. Urahara were still in his pocket. He was lucky that Mr. Urahara was willing to help him with his plan, so long as he gave his teacher a reward in the form of candy.

Although it was difficult and it pained him to do it, it was worth it. Szayel smiled bitterly. He did not want to see Ulquiorra sad anymore.

He wanted Ulquiorra to be happy, even if it was without him.

Taking out his cell phone, Szayel flipped it open and looked at the wallpaper. It was a picture of him and Ulquiorra, taken a few years back. Ulquiorra was smiling one of his rare smiles and Szayel had his arm around him. He touched the screen, as though longing to go back to that time. They looked like they were having fun. Things were so different back then. Szayel had always been the one to take care of Ulquiorra. That was how it had always been. Just him and Ulquiorra, no one else. So having to do this was probably one of the most difficult things he ever had to do. Things have changed. Now he was no longer the one taking care of Ulquiorra.

_Szayel pushed the card into Ulquiorra's small hands. "Here, this is for you. Happy Valentines Day." Szayel smiled._

_At the confused look on Ulquiorra's face, Szayel explained, "Love is not only celebrated by couples. It is also for friends and family. Just as long as you love that person. As your friend, I love you."_

Biting his bottom lip, Szayel went to his cell phone's gallery.

_"I love you too, Szayel." He pulled the surprised pink haired boy into a hug. "You are my best friend."_

He deleted all pictures of Ulquiorra.

Doing this made his already broken heart break again. Shoving his cell phone back into his pocket, he rubbed at his eyes hurriedly. They would realise that the door was already unlocked anytime now, so he had to leave. He did not want them to see him or know that this was all his doing. He would rather keep it a secret.

Walking out of the school, Szayel took in a deep breath of the chilly night air. He felt much better now that he was outside. It was suffocating being in there. Szayel was about to pull on his jacket when he caught sight of a blonde, dark skinned person sitting on one of the benches. Drawing nearer, Szayel immediately recognised who it was.

"Harribel?" Szayel said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Startled, the blonde female looked up at him. "Szayel?" she said. She did not expect to meet anyone here. When she got over her surprise, she looked away from amber eyes and looked straight ahead at the street in front of her, a melancholy, faraway look in her eyes. "I'm just... thinking," she answered vaguely. "I usually come here so that I can sort out my thoughts."

"Hm? Hey, is there something wrong?" Szayel asked her in concern.

He had not seen Harribel in awhile now, but he heard the rumours going around about her. It was no secret that she was devastated over her break up with Nnoitra. The guy must have been his usual asshole self when he did that to her. Even the thought of it was beginning to make Szayel feel indignant. "Is this about Nnoitra?" he questioned. "Did he do something wrong to you? If he did then I-"

"No, he didn't do anything wrong," Harribel said absently. She looked up at him then, a small smile on her face. "I am sad, yes, but I don't mind. Nnoitra was actually quite nice to me when he broke things off. He was nothing like how the other girls described him as."

Szayel blinked, taken aback by her answer.

Nnoitra? Nice?

He never thought that the day would come that Nnoitra Jiruga would actually be sincerely nice to girls. Or that the words "Nnoitra" and "nice" could even be used in the same sentence.

The pink haired teen chuckled, his anger immediately forgotten.

It looked like Nnoitra was not as big a womanizer as he made himself out to be.

Noticing Tia Harribel shiver, Szayel immediately placed his jacket on her shoulders. This action only earned him a questioning look from her.

"It's cold and it's late," Szayel said, holding out his hand for her. "Would you like me to walk you home?"

Harribel smiled and accepted his hand. "Of course."

As they walked away from school, Szayel could not help looking back at the building that they were leaving behind. The corner of his lips lifted up in a smile.

_You better take good care of him, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. Don't you dare make me regret my decision._

* * *

"Lucky thing that the door was unlocked. It must have unlocked itself after we kicked at it so much."

"Yeah..." Ulquiorra said doubtfully.

He pulled his jacket closer to his body when a light breeze blew past them. He still felt a bit sticky and sore from their previous... activity. But other than that, he was fine. Before they left, they made sure to clean up the mess that they had made. Doing that made the heat rise up to Ulquiorra's face. It was a lucky thing that he had decided to try opening the door one more time or else they would have to sleep in school. To be honest, Ulquiorra could not help, but to feel that there was something not right about this whole thing. Like him being stuck with Grimmjow was not a mere coincidence. Although he felt that, the raven haired teen decided to ignore it.

_It's probably nothing anyway._

With Grimmjow's arm wrapped around his shoulders, Ulquiorra relaxed and leaned against his boyfriend's chest as they walked back home together.

"It's really late. Mum is going to throw a fuss," Grimmjow said conversationally. "Hey, Ulqui. When are you going to sing for me?"

_And so, we have finally come to the end of this story. Throughout this entire experience, Grimmjow, Ulquiorra and their friends all learned many important things in life._

"What for?"

_Szayel Aporro Grantz learned to sacrifice; he had let go of the one he loved the most in order for the other to be happy._

"You promised to sing for me after the exams, remember?"

_Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and Ichigo Kurosaki both learned the same lesson, which was to open their eyes to what they had all along. What they had came in the form of Ulquiorra Cifer and Kuchiki Rukia._

Oh yes. He did promise that to Grimmjow. "I will. Later."

_Ulquiorra Cifer learned to stop running away from his fears, to open up and to embrace the person he loved the most._

"Hey, that ain't fair!" Grimmjow whined. "You promised."

_And Nnoitra Jiruga? Well... let's just say that he was still learning._

"Later." Amused, Ulquiorra could not help, but to smile.

_These were the lessons that they learned._

_... In the lessons in love._

**-THE END-**

* * *

**DIOR:** Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, favourited and put this story on alert! You guys are awesome. It was fun writing this fic, but all things must come to an end, even this story. Ah, well. Till next time, everyone. *waves*

**EXTRA NOTE:** This chapter has been censored in order to abide to the site's M-rating rule. In order to read the uncut version, visit my profile and click "Fic Livejournal". You can search for the chapter from the Fic Master List.


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